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Giffords Brings Down the House; FAA Funding Fight; Default Deadline Arrives; Rhode Island City Files for Bankruptcy; Casey Anthony Probation Order; Drought and Famine Grip Somalia; Putin Calls U.S. A "Parasite"; Ford Recalls Pickup Trucks

Aired August 02, 2011 - 06:00   ET

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

ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: It's all over the place Carter sees the bright spot. We'll be back with him. He's coming back tomorrow morning, 5:00 a.m. Eastern. Catch him on cnnmoney.com. That's it for us on "WAKE UP CALL." AMERICAN MORNING," cheery as ever starts right now.

CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I like what Carter said too. Good morning, everyone. I'm Carol Costello. Tears and cheers on Capitol Hill not for the debt ceiling deal, but for Gabrielle Giffords, the wounded congresswoman bringing down the House last night.

VELSHI: Funding fight over the FAA. I'm Ali Velshi. The agency forced to partially shut its doors. What it means for your safety and the price of your next airline ticket on this AMERICAN MORNING.

COSTELLO: Good morning, everyone. It is Tuesday, August 2nd. This is AMERICAN MORNING. Christine has the day off because boy, she's a little under the weather yesterday.

VELSHI: She's trying to fight that cold and it keeps coming back.

COSTELLO: Those kids, little germ incubators.

VELSHI: I know that's why I keep none of them around me.

A lot going on today. This debt debate it's just not over. It was supposed to be over last night and it didn't end.

COSTELLO: Well, it's almost over because the Senate votes on it and goes to the president and we'll still be talking about it. Anyway, welcome to D-day, the day America hits the default deadline.

Right now you look live at the capitol. Later today, the entire world will be watching when the Senate votes on a compromised debt ceiling deal.

And what a moment this was. For a brief moment last night, Republicans and Democrats put aside their differences to embrace a surprise visitor, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords.

For the first time since being shot in January, Giffords returned to the House Chamber to vote in favor of the debt deal. It was a moving sight that brought everyone to tears. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPRESENTATIVE NANCY PELOSI (D), CALIFORNIA: Throughout America, there isn't a name that stirs more love, more admiration, more respect, more wishing for our daughters to be like her, than the name of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords. Thank you, Gabby, for joining us today.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELSHI: Giffords closest friend in the House, Florida Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz got a call from Giffords' husband yesterday. He told her Gabby felt she had to be in Washington if her vote could keep America from slipping into default.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REPRESENTATIVE DEBBIE WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (D), FLORIDA: It was just the most overwhelming, I mean, it would be hard -- my heart was -- all of our hearts were so full and you have had some grizzled hardened members with very hardened hearts that everybody had melted when she walked in the chamber. It was so incredible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELSHI: By the end of the night, the House voted 269 to 161 in favor of the deal. Afterward, our own Kate Bolduan got a rare interview with House Speaker John Boehner about the painful process that got us here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: How do you feel, sir?

REPRESENTATIVE JOHN BOEHNER (R), HOUSE SPEAKER: I feel great.

BOLDUAN: What do you think of the vote this evening?

BOEHNER: It was a strong vote, but first step in many steps yet to go.

BOLDUAN: What do you hope the American people take, what do you think the message is for the American people tonight?

BOEHNER: The process works. May not be pretty, but it works.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: You heard him. He says it works. It is a deal that no one seems to like.

VELSHI: He was right about the fact it wasn't pretty.

COSTELLO: No, it was really ugly. There's only hours to go before this default deadline kicks in, a deal we kind of have to live with if it makes it through the Senate today, which it's expected to do. It will.

VELSHI: I'm sure it will, but everything is moving slowly than you would expect it to. Joe Johns joins us live from Washington this morning.

Sixty votes are needed for the measure to pass today, Joe. Do you even know why it's 60 as opposed to just 50 and are they going to get the votes necessary?

JOE JOHNS, CNN ANCHOR AND CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's the issue of somebody trying to filibuster or somebody trying to hold up debate or whatever and that's the rule in the United States Senate, unless you have a 60 vote majority, you may have to come up with 60 votes to get anything through.

You know, the question is, is this going to be a slam dunk? The people in the Senate who should know, think they have the votes to pass it. I mean, this is a compromise that was fashioned in the Senate over the weekend. You can make the case this is their product, that given the alternative, which is pretty ugly, they got the best deal they could get.

I don't think anybody got all of what they wanted, but for the most part, Democrats and Republicans were able to hold on to their bottom line priorities. The president's party was able to get the debt ceiling increased and a way to extend borrowing authority out through 2012.

Republicans got a promise at least of no new taxes and huge reductions in government spending. Some said it wasn't as much as they wanted. You know, this is one of those hold your nose kind of votes where nobody says, I like this thing completely.

VELSHI: All right, Joe, we're going to be watching it very closely to see how this actually develops and whether any more wrinkles show up. In your view, we're done with the road bumps and wrinkles? I'm not asking you to prognosticate, but there's nothing obvious at this point?

JOHNS: No, I mean, there's nothing obvious. There's a group of very conservative senators and, you know, they're a little bit, you know, concerns about what they might do. One of them walked past me in the hall over in the senate side yesterday, Jim DeMint.

And I asked him are you going to hold this thing up or whatever and I mean, he just kept walking. He didn't give me a peep. So, again, though, we're told that the Senate people think they actually have the votes and that's the important thing.

VELSHI: Joe, thanks very much. We'll check in with you later. Joe Johns in Washington.

If you're not already furious with your elected officials for the way they've handled this debt ceiling crisis, this may push you right over the top. Because Congress couldn't stop bickering and this deal came down to the wire instead of getting done two weeks ago, for instance, American taxpayers are now on the hook for $1.7 billion more.

That's how much additional interest the government had to pay investors to get them to buy treasury bills now that the risk is a little bit higher, Carol.

COSTELLO: It's always something, isn't it? If Congress passes the debt deal, a special bipartisan committee will be created to come up with a plan for even more cuts. That's going to be called the Super Committee.

I knew I wouldn't do this right, but the Super Committee will consist of six Democrats and six Republicans. Those six Democrats and six Republicans will be selected by the Senate leadership over there and the House leadership.

Once they're in place, they will begin debating what to cut and what not to cut. They're going to try to figure out $1.5 trillion in additional cuts. They have to do that by a certain deadline and that deadline will be Thanksgiving.

Once they get all of that into place and we're certain they will because things are working so well in our government, their plan will go to the entire Congress, to the House and the Senate and then, of course the House and the Senate will vote yes or no.

They'll have to do that by Christmas time. If they vote yes, all will be well. I think I went one too far. Yes. See, Ali, I should have had you come over and do this. Anyway, if the whole Congress votes yes, all will be well.

If they vote no, then the president -- then that will -- all of these triggers will go into place and things will be cut like defense and entitlement programs. We don't know, but those kicks will go into place and that will allow the president to raise the debt ceiling.

Also, when the Super Committee makes its decisions, there will be no amendments allowed, so the entire Congress will have to vote on this plan whether they like it or not. So we'll keep our fingers crossed and hope all will go well.

VELSHI: So they've got to vote up or down on this thing. I like when you did that. When it moves too slowly, everybody gets bored, whatever I'll come back when it's finished. You made me watch.

COSTELLO: Thanks, Ali. I appreciate that.

VELSHI: It was excellent. The one danger a lot of people warn is if they don't come to a deal, then those automatic cuts could be very haphazard. They're automatic. They may not be the best thing for the economy. So you know this means, Carol, you and me are going to be working Christmas, is what it means.

COSTELLO: Probably so, but I'm used to that, that's OK.

VELSHI: It would be fun hanging out with you. All right, the fight over the debt ceiling isn't the only showdown in Washington. The House adjourned for the summer recess last night and failed to approve a bill that would fund the Federal Aviation Administration.

The only possible resolution is if the Senate approves the bill, but that is unlikely. So what is this all for you. First, the federal government is expected to lose an estimated $1.2 billion in taxes on air fare.

Four thousand workers will remain furloughed. These are mostly administrative positions, meaning air traffic control personnel are still on the job and passenger safety should not be affected.

Also construction projects are on hold. Because the government stopped collecting certain taxes on ticket sales, Delta says it will now give refunds to passengers who paid those taxes, but then flew during the partial FAA shutdown. The refunds only apply to people who bought tickets before July 23rd.

So Carol, just let me make this - let's bring this map back for a second. The $1.2 billion in revenue is what the government loses because they're gone now and they can't authorize this FAA bill.

The $1.7 billion is what we paid in extra interest because we had to refinance and now we're up to $3 billion just because of delays. Just because they weren't -- that's real money. It's nothing in terms of the national debt, but that's $3 billion we didn't have to pay.

COSTELLO: When you hear a figure like $1.7 billion, now you're thinking that's nothing, it really is. It's just the principle of it. It's ridiculous.

VELSHI: If you had to pay extra money, it's like these dumb things you pay because if you don't pay something on time. It's real money.

COSTELLO: Maybe they will learn not to wait until the last minute the next time.

VELSHI: I'm sure that's the lesson --

COSTELLO: The struggling Rhode Island City of Central Falls filing for bankruptcy as part of our continuing look at states in crisis.

The city of 19,000, which is just north of Providence has been drowning in debt and it was forced to file after unsuccessfully asking police and firefighter retirees to give up 50 percent of their pension.

Here's a member of the firefighters union and the city's mayor with an example of a 12-year-old retiree -- of a 42-year-old retiree rather, who's now draining the system.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR CHARLES MOREAU (D), CENTRAL FALLS: Collect for 40 years almost $2 million. A lot of money wasn't paid into that pension by that employee.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Retired firefighters worried about their pension long term they may get even less than half?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody is concerned about what's going to happen. Just going to try to work our way through it and do what we can.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELSHI: Last year, by the way, Central Falls is the same city that fired all of its teachers at its high school after a failed agreement between the city and teachers union.

New developments this morning in the Casey Anthony saga. A Florida judge ordering her to return to Orlando ASAP to serve a probation sentence for check fraud.

COSTELLO: And you thought it was over. Yes. It's unrelated to Anthony's recent murder trial. Casey Anthony's lawyers say they will fight this judge's order.

Joining us now Sunny Hostin, legal contributor for "In Session" on TruTV. We really did think this was over.

SUNNY HOSTIN, LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR, "IN SESSION" ON TRUTV: Just when you thought you would never see me again to talk about Casey Anthony again. She is back.

Apparently the judge who sentenced her in the check fraud case, that was going on even before she was tried for the death of her daughter, he thinks that he made a mistake and instead of writing on the release papers -- probation papers "upon release" he sort of wrote she would serve probation and then the clerk thought she should serve probation while in jail awaiting trial.

And that was so interesting. I mean, I've been a lawyer for a long time. I have never heard of anyone serving probation while they're sitting in a jail cell. I mean, that's the premise of probation. You want to have someone out of jail and make sure they do the right thing.

VELSHI: Right. I see. OK, so you wouldn't consider your jail time probation.

HOSTIN: No.

VELSHI: Doesn't serve the purpose.

HOSTIN: It just doesn't serve - it's never done.

COSTELLO: Does she have to serve probation in Orlando necessarily though?

HOSTIN: That's the question because the judge wrote she has to go back to Orlando in 72 hours and basically go to probation. So many people are saying well, that means she's got to stay in Orlando.

Usually someone does serve their probation in their home state, the state where the crime occurred, but I just don't think that's going to happen because typically exceptions are made for the safety of a person.

And I don't think that Orlando really wants Casey Anthony to come back, right. So I don't think she's going to serve it in Orlando if she serves it at all.

VELSHI: Now the -- her lawyers are challenging this order. The judge as you said thinks he may have a made mistake on what he wrote. What's likely to happen?

HOSTIN: You know, I think the defense team has a really good argument that - a double jeopardy argument she already served the probation, even though she serve is it in jail, she did already serve the probation.

And so my sense is perhaps they'll have a hearing. Casey Anthony may or may not be present for that hearing. Everybody wants to see her so, perhaps, she will be there. Then we'll find out whether or not Casey Anthony is going to serve probation. COSTELLO: If it lives.

HOSTIN: It lives, Carol, it lives!

COSTELLO: Well, that's too bad.

HOSTIN: I'm back.

VELSHI: It's always a pleasure to have you here. That's not the problem.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Sunny.

VELSHI: If you don't bring us more Casey Anthony stories, we'll happily have you back.

HOSTIN: Thank you.

COSTELLO: Thank you, Sunny.

It is question of the day time. Being the ultimate tough guy may work for Captain America, but not necessarily for the leaders of the free world. Remember when President Bush taunted insurgents in Iraq four months after shock and awe.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE BUSH, FORMER U.S. PRESIDENT: There are some who feel like that, you know, the conditions are such that they can attack us there. My answer is bring them on.

(END VIDEO CLIP) COSTELLO: Some believe the president's words increased violence against American troops taunting the enemy isn't the best idea. President Bush later said he regretted saying that.

But acting tough feels good and it's quintessentially American. It's one of the reasons why the Tea Party resonates. It's why Republicans are controlling the agenda.

This debt deal fiasco, in the modern political world tough is in, compromise is weak. Last year on "60 Minutes" House Speaker John Boehner made that clear.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BOEHNER: When you say the word compromise, a lot of Americans look up and go, they're going to sell me out.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: That's what he thinks of it. Back in the day powerful Democrats and Republicans were able to make mutually beneficial deals. Think of Ronald Reagan and Tip O'Neill in 1983 working on a deal on Social Security or President Clinton compromising with Newt Gingrich on welfare reform in 1996, but that was then.

So, question of the day time. Is compromise a sign of weakness? Send us an e-mail, tweet or message us on Facebook. We will read some of your responses throughout the hour.

VELSHI: And still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, relief for an Alabama town ravaged by a tornado. A new plant, new jobs are on the way.

COSTELLO: Despite a pledge not to market unhealthy food and drinks to kids, a new study says they still get a heap and help from advertisements through product placements.

VELSHI: And on a hunt for roadside bomb used to kill American soldiers in Afghanistan, we've got a firsthand look at the delicate and dangerous mission.

It's part of Jason Carroll's series "A Soldier's Story."

You're watching AMERICAN MORNING. It's 15 minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELSHI: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING.

A night of bloodshed in Syria. Government troops and civilians clashing again in the City of Hama. Reports of violence in several other cities as well. At least 24 more people reportedly killed overnight. Fifty-two died on Sunday, including four children.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton calling on the United Nations to take action against Syrian President Assad saying he has lost his legitimacy to rule. A major concession this morning from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that could lead to statehood for Palestinians. Netanyahu announcing that Israel is now willing to negotiate with Palestinians based on borders that existed in 1967. In exchange, the Palestinians would have to drop efforts to get the U.N. to recognize them as a state and it would have to publicly recognize Israel as a state. Leaders on both sides are indicating that they are willing to accept those conditions.

COSTELLO: Back here at home, the extreme heat, it just wouldn't let up in the Midwest and Dallas. Today will mark the 32nd straight day of triple-digit temperatures. Excessive heat advisories in effect from Texas to parts of Kansas. Also, right now, 12 percent of the country experiencing extreme drought conditions.

Rob Marciano is in the Extreme Weather Center in Atlanta. So, any end in sight?

ROB MARCIANO, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Well, what we need is a tropical system to come onshore. That's what we were begging for last week in Don. It completely fizzled and brought virtually no rain to Texas. So that's strikeout number one.

We're hoping Emily brings something to the southeast which it can use the rain. But there's a chance that it may be strikeout number two. Here's where it is. Tropical Storm Emily in the Eastern Caribbean, this one already larger than Don, but still has some obstacles to undergo. There's some dry air out here. We've got islands that - that are going to - may get in the way of this thing.

Here's the forecast track. It will skim San Juan. There'll be some rain there, maybe a little bit of wind. It will get over Hispaniola and that may tear it apart, at least limit its - its development because of the mountains there, and they get somewhere into the Southern Bahamas. Florida is in the realm of possibilities, as is the Carolinas and Georgia as we get towards the weekend. So this is going to be of great concern.

Obviously, if it develops stronger into a Category 1, 2 or 3 hurricane that wouldn't be good, but a weak tropical system we'll take that.

Here's your heat advisories as you mentioned all over the place - 109 the expected high temperature today in Dallas; 111 in Oklahoma City. Is it cooler tomorrow? No. Does it get cooler on Thursday? No, similar numbers. So the heat continues.

And this system, guys, it doesn't look like it has much of a chance of getting to Texas. So they've got to have to get their cool rain from another source. Right now, it looks hot and dry.

Guys, back up to you.

COSTELLO: I don't really think that's possible, but maybe they'll think of something.

MARCIANO: Yes. That's right. VELSHI: It's - I mean, that purple on that map just confounds me.

MARCIANO: Yes.

VELSHI: The heat in the shade in Oklahoma City and Dallas, places like that, wow.

MARCIANO: It's been quite a stretch.

VELSHI: We'll check on the weather later on with you, Rob. Thank you so much.

MARCIANO: Right. You bet.

VELSHI: This might just be the worst humanitarian crisis on the planet. The people of Somalia in the grips of a deadly drought and famine, nowhere in the world are people more malnourished. But getting the help to these struggling people in this African nation is next to impossible because of another ongoing crisis, attacks by Islamic militants.

CNN's Nima Elbagir joins us live from Mogadishu, Somalia, this morning. Nima, what's the situation there?

NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Ali, the Shabaab Militant Group have now announced their Ramadan offenses, the Muslim Holy Month started yesterday and annually every year, what will Shabaab do is they try and use this as a rallying cry for their supporters around the world.

We've been told by intelligence associates that three weeks ago they received a shipment of weapons from across the Red Sea in Yemen. They couldn't confirm 100 percent, but believe that was coming from al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in preparation for this offensive. That offensive has now begun in earnest bringing with it huge concerns for the already impoverished aid that is reaching these people.

The worry is that now that this offensive has kicked off, that those aids deliveries are in even more danger as meager as they were, Ali.

VELSHI: Nima, what is the likely ability to - to head off the continued famine? And I ask you this because "famine" is a specific word. It's not sort of thrown around normally. It means something specific. How long does this likely go on - go on for if they can't succeed in getting food to these people?

ELBAGIR: And that's the huge issue here. If they can't secure the corridors to deliver the aid, then we're only going to continue to see this humanitarian catastrophe grow. Initially, the United Nations had said that famine - and you're right, it is a very scientific term, and it talks about a very specific malnutrition rate, initially the U.N. had said that that was only in two areas in South and Central Somalia.

Now it's warning that the whole of Somalia is becoming a famine zone. And the problem really is, Ali, is this really hasn't crept up on the world. For years now, year on year, we've been having drought warnings for Somalia and people have been aware that the security situation, the stability situation needs to change here and then, you know, this was coming. This could have been foreseen. And yet, now we have tens of thousands of people at risk of hunger, starvation, death, and it doesn't really look like there is an easy answer to this on the horizon.

Many aid agencies are trying it to ratchet up their delivery of aid. But it's all well and good to get that to Mogadishu. The issue is how do you get it to the people who need it the most, Ali.

VELSHI: All right. Nima, thanks very much for covering this for us. We'll - we'll stay in touch with you on this important and tragic story that's unfolding.

COSTELLO: Still to come this morning, the triumphant return of Gabrielle Giffords.

VELSHI: Did this give you shivers? I mean, I really -

COSTELLO: Brought me to tears.

VELSHI: It was unbelievable. I was so amazed.

COSTELLO: Why the wounded congresswoman said she felt compelled to come back to the Capitol last night.

You're watching AMERICAN MORNING. Your business headlines up, too, after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELSHI: Twenty-seven minutes after the hour. "Minding Your Business" right now.

U.S. stock futures are trading lower ahead of the opening bell. Wall Street not feeling very confident about the economy this morning. Stocks shot up at the start of the session yesterday on relief about the debt ceiling talks, but markets quickly took a turn and dropped after weak manufacturing numbers were released signaling stalled growth in the economy.

Today, Wall Street looking to more economic data for a fresh read on the recovery. Economists are forecasting that personal income and spending rose in June, slightly from the previous months. Those numbers come out in about two hours from now.

Toyota announcing this morning a big loss in the last quarter, due in part to a lag in production following the earthquake in Japan, but the company also raised its earnings forecast for the year. Other quarterly earnings coming out this morning, Pfizer, Office Max and Hyatt Hotels.

Later today, the major automakers will start releasing information on new car sales for July and Wall Street will be watching. Those figures are used as indicators of consumer demand and another gauge on the country's economic recovery. Ford announcing a recall of a little over a million full-size pick-up trucks in the U.S. for faulty gas tanks. The recall comes after several fires were reported from the defect.

You can check out CNNMoney.com for more details on this recall and, of course, the very latest news on your money.

AMERICAN MORNING back right after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Arizona Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords making a triumphant return to Capitol Hill last night. Seven months after being shot in the head, she said she had to come back to keep Congress from inflicting a serious wound on the American people -- on this AMERICAN MORNING.

(MUSIC)

COSTELLO: Good morning to you. Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING: It's Tuesday, August 2nd. I'm Carol Costello.

VELSHI: Christine is not here, which is sad for us on a couple levels. She's sick. Sad for me, because you know how much I enjoy making fun of her in the commercial breaks with her cold.

COSTELLO: It's cruel.

Christine, it's OK. You don't have to come back right away.

VELSHI: We are going to have more on Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords' amazing return to Washington yesterday. It really was amazing.

But, first, let us give you this morning's top stories.

A Senate vote on the debt ceiling deal is expected within hours. The measure passed the House last night with 60 votes in the Senate. Today, America will be able to stave off default while phasing more than $2 trillion in spending cuts.

Tragic death at Yosemite National Park. A 26-year-old California woman fell 600 feet from the top of the park's half dome peak on Sunday. Officials say the dome may have been slippery from a morning rainstorm. The accident comes just two weeks after three hikers fell to their deaths at a popular Yosemite waterfall.

And in northeast Japan, the crisis deepens at the crippled Daiichi nuclear power plant. Officials admitting they are now getting the highest radiation reading yet since the tsunami triggered the three reactor meltdowns at the facility. The radiation levels are high enough to kill a person within weeks if they are exposed to a single dose.

COSTELLO: Wow. Seven months after being shot in the head, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords returned to the House chamber last night, she said she did it to keep her colleagues from inflicting a wound on the American people -- Giffords voting in favor of a compromised debt ceiling bill that's now before the Senate.

If you were on the House floor last night, well, actually, most of you probably weren't. But here's what her surprised appearance felt like.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. NANCY PELOSI (D-CA), MINORITY LEADER: I can't think of any that is more special and means so much to our country than to witness the return of our colleague who was the personification of courage, of sincerity, of admiration throughout the country Congresswoman Gabby Giffords brings us.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

PELOSI: Her presence today to make sure that we honor the obligations of our great country is important and symbolic. Her presence here in the chamber as well as her service throughout her entire service in Congress, brings honor to this chamber. We are all privileged to call her colleague, some of us very privileged to call her friend.

Throughout America, there isn't a name that stirs more love, more admiration, more respect, more wishing for our daughters to be like her than the name of Congresswoman Gabby Giffords.

Thank you, Gabby, for joining us today.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELSHI: As heroic as the measure was, her vote didn't end up being critical. The measure wasn't that close. It was 269 in favor of, 161 opposed. But her appearance did create a moment for Democrats and Republicans to do something which you don't see very much anymore, come together.

Here's what Giffords' communications director said about it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CJ KARMARGIN, GIFFORDS COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: It was a very emotional moment. I don't think there was a dry eye in our office when we saw the congresswoman on the floor of the House.

You know, this is -- she's always taken her job very seriously. She's always looked at the trust that the people of southeastern Arizona have placed her with, an extraordinary level of respect. So, when something like this happens with the consequences of a vote like this, you know, it's hard not to well up. It was an important moment.

(END VIDEO CLIP) COSTELLO: I think Gabrielle Giffords has become the symbol of civility.

VELSHI: Sure.

COSTELLO: But what's really sad, it's all over the blogs this morning, there was this moment when Vice President Joe Biden hugged Michele Bachmann and everybody going -- oh, my gosh they hugged all because of Gabrielle -- what a sad statement in American politics.

But it was great to see her there. Maybe it reminded us our Congress people and our lawmakers, maybe they really do try and they come back and they work hard and they want to be civil with one another -- and maybe that's what her visit symbolized.

VELSHI: Well, let's hope that's what it inspires.

COSTELLO: I hope so.

VELSHI: All right. Still to come this morning, a soldier's story. It's part two in our series. We got out on a mission with combat engineers searching for roadside bombs in Afghanistan. It's a story we haven't seen before and it's very, very moving.

It's 36 minutes after the hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELSHI: New brutality in Syria this morning. According to one human rights group, at least 24 people were killed overnight in Hama. That is the same town that President Bashar al Assad's father attacked nearly 30 years ago, killing tens of thousands of people. So, it's symbolic.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is demanding President Assad stop the killings. And the U.N. Security Council is expected to discuss the issue this morning.

Joining me live from London is Fawaz Gerges. He's the director of the Middle East Center at the London School of Economics. He's also author of "The Rise and Fall of al Qaeda."

Fawaz, good morning. Good to see you.

FAWAZ GERGES, LONDON SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS: The same here, Ali.

VELSHI: Fawaz, first of all, the United Nations is taking this issue up. Does Syria -- does the Syrian administration care that United Nations is taking this up and does it matter?

GERGES: Well, it cares a bit. The voice of the international community matters.

But, Ali, one point must be made very clear: the Syrian regime is fighting for its very survival. I think what we are witnessing now, this is all-out war. It's a fierce struggle to the bitter end. Both camps, the Syrian authorities and the protesters, are basically going for broke and I doubt very much whether President Assad will listen to the condemnation in New York in the next day or so.

VELSHI: Fawaz, tell me why -- how Syria is different from Egypt or Libya or Tunisia? What is the -- what's the balance of power between the Syrian government and military and the Syrian people who are protesting?

GERGES: Ali, this is a very important point. You're asking really several questions in one. The first question is that there is no daylight between the security authorities in Syria and the political leadership. The security apparatus, the bulk of the security forces, will fight to the end to protect the regime because there is no divide between the two, point one.

Point two, Ali, and for your viewers, more than 50 percent of the Syrian population lives in two cities, Aleppo and Damascus. And so far, neither Aleppo nor Damascus has fully joined the protesters. What I'm trying to say is that there is a silent majority out there and when and if the silent majority joins the protesters, this would mean the end of the Syrian government.

And, finally, I think the economic situation is deteriorating very sharply. The next few weeks are very, very critical. If the economic situation deteriorates further, then the silent majority will throw its luck with the protesters and that's why now it's all-out war. The next few weeks in particular, during Ramadan, are really critical for both the opposition and the Syrian authorities.

VELSHI: And explain to me the significance of the month of Ramadan. It is an important month. It is when the worshipers go to the mosque and sometimes those Friday prayers become flashpoints, or they become points from which people then move on to protests.

Is that a real threat to the administration?

GERGES: Absolutely.

Ali, Ramadan is a holy month of fasting and prayer and reflection. Remember, during the protests in Syria in the last few months, Friday is the day because the mosque has served as basically an outlet for mobilization. And what the protests would like to do is to use Ramadan to turn every day into Friday, to bring more people into the streets, to create a critical mass that tips the balance in power in their favor.

And that's why what you've seen in the last three days, the Syrian government is trying to prevent Ramadan from becoming a catalyst, from giving the protesters a critical mass of people. And that's why they're trying to crush the protesters, they're trying to strangle the baby before it develops, before it matures during the next few weeks.

VELSHI: Fawaz, thank you. We'll stay in touch with you on this developing story. You always give us such clarity on the story.

Fawaz Gerges is the director of the Middle East Center at the London School of Economics and the author of "The Rise and Fall of al Qaeda."

Carol?

COSTELLO: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING: Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin weighing in on America's debt crisis, calling the United States a parasite. We'll tell you why when AMERICAN MORNING continues.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RAMONA SINGER, REALITY STAR: Hi, everyone. I'm Ramona singer, and you know me from "The Real Housewives of New York City."

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Happy traveling to all of you. Bye.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

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COSTELLO: It is 47 minutes past the hour. Here's a look at the headlines this morning.

This afternoon, the Senate is expected to vote on the debt deal. The plan passed the House yesterday, and now today, the day that the government runs out of money to pay all of its bills. If the bill passes the Senate, it then heads back -- it then heads to the president's desk.

Among those in favor of the bill, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, she made a dramatic appearance on the House floor casting her first vote since she was shot in the head back in January during a shooting rampage in her home state of Arizona.

Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, reportedly calling the United States a parasite on the global economy. He said the country is living beyond its means, and that the U.S. dollar is a threat to the financial market.

Ford is recalling more than a million pick-up trucks because of fuel tank straps that can rust. That could allow the tank to come loose and drag on the ground. The recall covers the best-selling U.S. passenger vehicle, the F-150 model, from 1997 to 2003, and also, some of the F-250s 1997 through 1999.

After 13 seasons, the record-setting wide receiver, Randy Moss, is retiring from the NFL. Moss spent the majority of his career with the Minnesota Vikings. He currently holds the record for the most touchdown catches in an NFL season and most by a rookie.

And when it comes to Hollywood's hottest bod, Helen Mirren is the leading lady. At least that's according to a new poll by L.A. Fitness. The 66-year-old Oscar-winning actress beat out Jennifer Lopez, Kate Winslet and Pippa Middleton.

You're now caught up on the day's headlines. AMERICAN MORNING back right after this.

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COSTELLO: And welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING. From boot camp to boots on the ground in Afghanistan, we have been following the journey of army soldier, Will McLain. He's now seeing the war up close as a combat engineer.

VELSHI: You know, we both got smiles on our faces, but the fact is, it really is a great story. Jason has witnessed, Jason Carroll has witnessed firsthand the evolution of Will McLain from a recruit through boot camp to Afghanistan. He joins us now with the second part of his week-long series "A Soldier's Story."

JASON CARROLL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Right. And today, we're going to take a bit of a departure because we're going to look at what his company does, these combat engineers. These are the guys who are out there on a daily basis, very dangerous job. Let me just put it in perspective for you.

Now, one report shows that 268 U.S. troops were killed by IEDs, those improvised explosive devices last year. The combat engineer's job is to find those bombs before they can do any harm. We got a firsthand look at just how they accomplish their mission.

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LT. NICK CHRISTIAN, U.S. ARMY: What we do is we make sure that our route is cleared before we step off.

CARROLL (voice-over): On mission with combat engineers in a remote area of southern Afghanistan, these soldiers hunt for IEDs, those roadside bombs insurgents use to injure or kill.

CHRISTIAN: They watch us, and they wait to see what we do and then they act.

CARROLL: But they also search for the people who plant them. On this particular day, it wasn't long before they found both.

1ST SGT. VALENTE ORTIZ, U.S. ARMY: They came out positive for some of the compounds that we think that could be involved in suspicious activity out here. All making explosives.

CARROLL: During a checkpoint set up to snare insurgents, they find five men and the car they're driving test positive for explosives.

STAFF SGT. DANNY MCCRITE, U.S. ARMY: This one is military grade plastic explosives.

CARROLL: The men say they're builders and farmers, not a credible story to these trained soldiers.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pakistani money.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.

CARROLL: One man carrying two million Pakistani rupees, about 23,000 U.S. dollars, two others found with questionable passports.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They both say that they're going to be a tourist in Asia, Europe, and America.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Roger (INAUDIBLE).

CARROLL: And then, off camera --

ORTIZ: They found suspicious bomb material behind us. That prevents us from going back over and getting exploded on.

CARROLL: Someone knew we were going to be turning around and coming back that direction and planted a bomb so we would hit it on our way back?

ORTIZ: Yes. We're now learning just how big it was.

CARROLL: How big was it?

CHRISTIAN: There was six jugs of homemade explosives, which is roughly 300 pounds of explosives.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Just so you know, like 300 pounds, like a typical SUV, like they say, a Tahoe, would break it into about two million pieces and kill everybody inside the vehicle.

CARROLL: Finding the bomb, men with lots of cash who test positive for explosives, these combat engineers say it all adds up.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're putting two and two together here, and it's not -- today's events aren't equaling good.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's hard to believe that we found (INAUDIBLE) IED behind us, five guys that came up with explosive residues on their hand and walking around with --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two million --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pakistani rupees.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two million Pakistani rupees.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We're able to seemingly catch five of them. So, do you think it was luck or do you think it was just that there are a lot of them out there, so it's easier to sort of grab?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today might have been a lucky day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No one got hurt. That's score one for America.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CARROLL (on-camera): A lucky day, indeed. You know, those five alleged insurgents were actually taken into custody and then turned over to the Afghan police for processing. Last year, more than 3,000 troops were injured by those roadside bombs. So, you really get a sense of the urgency just how important it is for their missions in terms of getting out there, finding these types of bombs.

VELSHI: What exactly do they look for? I mean, I know the guys and they're checking the car and all that kind of stuff, but when there aren't guys around them, there's a roadside bomb, how do they know?

CARROLL: Well, you know, it's an interesting process. What they do is they're out there with their metal detectors, and they've done it for so long. They're trained to look for imperfections in the road. They're trained to look for wires. Things that shouldn't be out there in remote areas such as Southern Afghanistan.

COSTELLO: So, did these soldiers choose this job because -- I just can't imagine who would want to do this?

CARROLL: And you know, it's a great question, and they do. They're out there. They want to choose -- they choose these particular types of jobs. They have, you know, this just sort of desire to get out there and find these types of things. It's a very unique person that wants to do this type of gig.

VELSHI: No kidding.

CARROLL: Yes.

COSTELLO: Thank God for them.

VELSHI: They're unique people, right, because wow. All right. Jason, thanks. Three more?

CARROLL: Three more. Tomorrow, we take another departure. We're going to switch, and we're going to talk about First Sergeant Randy Shorter. He's a career veteran. We're going to check back in with him in Afghanistan (ph). VELSHI: All right. Very good. Thank you, Jason.

COSTELLO: It is now a question of the day time. The House approving a compromised deal to raise the debt ceiling yesterday, but only after months of walking away from the table, accusations and missed deadlines. So, we want to know this morning, is compromise now a sign of weakness?

This from Robert. He says, "There is a difference between compromise and bending over and dismissing your base."

VELSHI: And on our blog, Fran writes, "No. It's a sign of maturity and common sense. Two qualities sadly lacking in Washington. We must begin voting for moderates regardless of their political parties. This constant ideological tug of war accomplishes nothing. Grow up or go home."

COSTELLO: Something interesting. Harry Reid said about this debt ceiling deal. He said it didn't please the right, the middle, or the left. A perfect compromise. Maybe so. I don't know. But keep your comments coming. Send us an e-mail, a tweet, or tell us on Facebook. We'll read some more of your comments a bit later in the show.

VELSHI: And your top stories just minutes away including the return of Gabrielle Giffords. Why the wounded Arizona congresswoman said she had to return to the House chamber for last night's debt ceiling vote.

COSTELLO: And brand new study is out suggesting doctors are overusing a costly heart procedure. What you need to know. It's 56 minutes past the hour.

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