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American Morning
Conrad Murray on Trial; Senate Reaches Bipartisan Spending Deal; Perry Still Top Pick Among Republicans; Obama Health Care Law Constitutional?; Egypt Pipeline Blast; Transportation Strike in Athens; Meteor Shower Danger; Ozzie Guillen Goes Down Talking; Libya's NTC Controls Port in Sirte; Washington Monument Shaken; Obama Outreach; MJ Trial Begins; Government Shutdown Averted; Terror Inside The Washington Monument; Conrad Murray's Trial; Amanda Knox Murder Appeal
Aired September 27, 2011 - 05:59 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Is the doctor to blame for Michael Jackson's death in court today. I'm Christine Romans. Opening statements in the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray set to begin this morning. We're live in Los Angeles just ahead.
ALI VELSHI, CNN ANCHOR: The budget battle is over - for now. I'm Ali Velshi. The Senate agreeing on a bipartisan spending bill that will keep the government operating for seven more weeks while taking care of natural disaster victims without interruption. We'll tell you how the deal got done ahead.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: I'm Carol Costello. Rick Perry still the top pick among Republicans, but a new gun, a new CNN/ORC poll says he may have a tough time beating Barack Obama because in a head-to-head contest against the president, two other Republican candidates are outperforming him on this AMERICAN MORNING.
CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Good morning, everyone. It's Tuesday, September 27th. Welcome to AMERICAN MORNING this morning.
VELSHI: Nice to see you.
ROMANS: You, too, Ali.
VELSHI: Good morning. Up first, the manslaughter trial of Michael Jackson's personal physician begins in Los Angeles in just a few hours with opening statements. Prosecutors claimed Dr. Conrad Murray caused Jackson's death by administering a lethal dose of Propofol.
The defense is expected to argue that Jackson gave himself the deadly dosage. CNN's Don Lemon is live outside the courthouse in Los Angeles. It is very, very early in the morning there. Don, is there already -- are there already people gathering there or are you alone?
DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I am alone except for the crew and some other reporters. I had to look around. We're sort of in a bubble. You know how that is, but, where do we start, Ali? I mean, my gosh, there is so much to talk about in this case. I mean, just think about when you talk about Propofol.
We didn't know anything about Propofol before Michael Jackson. Some people get it when you go into procedures, but you didn't know the name of it. So again, as you said, it's going to be opening statements. It's going to start about 8:45 local time, which is 11:45 Eastern.
That's when the judge is going to come in, Ali and he is going to give the jury some instructions. About 15 minutes after that, that's when those arguments are expected to start in this case from the prosecution and from the defense.
That will go on for a bit. At 10:15, they'll take a little of a breather and then after they do that, Ali, they're going to come back, continue with those arguments. We don't expect -- we don't expect -- we're not sure. It doesn't always go as planned. We don't expect the first witness to start testifying until a little later on this afternoon.
That video you're looking at from "This Is It," was supposed to be his final, his big comeback, and they were just eight days out. Of course, Michael Jackson died, and the person who is the choreographer and producer of that will actually be the first witness.
VELSHI: I was going to ask you who would be the first witnesses, and you think we're going to hear from the first witness starting today?
LEMON: Yes, we're going to hear from the first witness starting today. And again, as you said, this is what the judge has planned.
VELSHI: Right.
LEMON: But you know, Ali, you've covered these things. They don't always go as planned. Kenny Ortega has been with Michael Jackson for 25 years. You know he did "This Is It."
Even produced his funeral, the funeral at the Staples Center and he's done some other very high-profile things and produced most of Michael Jackson's tours. Can we talk about the jury here, Ali? Do you want to know about the jury?
VELSHI: I do, yes.
LEMON: Yes, let's talk about the jury. You may have some questions about this, seven men, five women. A lot of people are thinking this is very important. Six are white. Five are Hispanic, one African-American.
Some people say, why one African-American when you're dealing with this? Because they say, this is -- it's not race. Both of the people here involved are African-American. They don't look at this as a race case, you know, that may have racial overtones to it. It's going to be interesting to hear, you know --
VELSHI: They could end up being very famous jurors at some point. This is going to be a case everybody in the country is looking at. I know you've covered it a lot, Don. So you'll be able to interpret as we go along. So we look forward to your coverage of it.
Don Lemon in Los Angeles this morning as the Conrad Murray case opens up. Good morning, Don. We'll talk to you a little later.
For complete coverage of today's opening statements and the entire Conrad Murray trial, check out our sister network HLN.
COSTELLO: The standing showdown is over. A partisan budget deal has been reached in the Senate. Democrats and Republicans figuring out a way to keep the government operating while keeping the aid flowing for thousands of Americans who've been hit by natural disasters.
It's an agreement made possible not by compromise, but by FEMA. Kate Bolduan with how the deal got done.
KATE BOLDUAN, CNN CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: In the series of votes, the Senate was able to pull off what it hasn't been able to do to this point as another government shutdown looms. Reach bipartisan agreement to avert that very scenario.
This deal came after FEMA announced it will be able to stretch its current money in its disaster relief fund to make it through the end of the week without running dry, which it had previously said was not likely.
Now this is key because the end of the week is also the end of the current fiscal year effectively making the central obstacle to reaching an agreement on how to keep the government funded in moot point.
Democrats and Republicans had all along had been battling over whether or not the additional funding they wanted to give FEMA for disaster efforts needed to be paid for by cutting spending elsewhere, but only the money they were offering for the rest of this current fiscal year ending Friday.
Republicans said, yes, it should be paid for and Democrats had been saying, no. Well, now that issue is off the table. So the Senate approved the measure to fund the government through November 18th and also giving additional some $2.6 billion to FEMA for the next fiscal year, but that part was not in dispute.
Now the house still needs to have its say on this short-term spending measure. Kate Bolduan, CNN, Washington.
ROMANS: A big staff change in the works at the White House this morning. CNN has learned Stephanie Cutter will be leaving the west wing to join the president's re-election campaign.
She's currently serving as deputy of the White House senior adviser David Bluff, a top aide to first lady Michelle Obama during the 2008 campaign.
According to our sources, Cutter will assume her new role towards the end of the year, seen with Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner there. She also was a top strategist and adviser for the treasury secretary as well.
VELSHI: Well, according to a new CNN/ORC poll, Rick Perry is still the top choice among Republican voters in the race for the GOP nomination, but Mitt Romney poses the biggest threat to President Obama in 2012. Perry finished seven points ahead of Romney as the top choice among Republicans and independents who lean Republican.
But a less than stellar performance in last week's Orlando debate may have taken a toll. Take a look at these numbers. Among all registered voters, Romney performed best in a head-to-head contest with the president finishing just one point behind President Obama.
Ron Paul had a strong showing, too. He finished four points behind the president, and that was better than Rick Perry. The Texas governor finished five points behind President Obama, 51 percent to 46 percent.
COSTELLO: It's just a strange season, isn't it, political season? Really strange.
In the heat of the race for the White House next summer, the Supreme Court could be deciding the president's signature piece of legislation, you know, the 2010 health care law is constitutional.
An appeals court panel ruled last month that Congress overstepped its boundaries by mandating health care for all. The Justice Department confirming last night it will not appeal that ruling to the full appellate court.
Instead, the White House is not expected to ask the Supreme Court for a final ruling to boil this all down. The U.S. Supreme Court will probably get the case about Obamacare right in the middle of the 2012 election.
ROMANS: Excellent. What timing. Just the timing you all need, right?
Also new this morning, an explosion destroys a section of an Egyptian gas pipeline that supplies Israel and Jordan. Authorities say an extremist group with links to al Qaeda is believed to be responsible. The pipeline has been attacked at least five other times in recent months, leading Egypt to crack down on terror groups in the area.
VELSHI: OK, transportation is coming to a standstill in Athens. Public transportation workers and taxi drivers have walked off the job to protest new budget and benefit cuts. Measures needed to secure crucial bailout funds. Officials fear that without a loan the country could run out of money by next month.
ROMANS: People are not going along with austerity. They do not like it. VELSHI: It's a big problem in Greece.
COSTELLO: Let's talk about NASA. It's concerned that a meteor shower next week could pose a danger for spacecraft. Officials are looking at ways to protect the International Space Station and the Hubble Space telescope from hits by any orbital debris. Some forecasters expect a strong shower with as many as 1,000 shooting stars an hour at its peak.
VELSHI: Considering options what could those options be?
COSTELLO: I don't know.
VELSHI: Sending rocket ships up to shoot down the asteroids?
COSTELLO: Big shields?
ROMANS: Meanwhile, Ozzie Guillen considering his options and he pulled his option going from the south side to south beach. The Chicago White Sox granted the manager his release after last night's game refusing to extend his contract.
He was fined several times for speaking his mind during his years with the White Sox. He was even ordered once to take sensitivity training. He did manage then, their first world championship in 88 years in 2005. He's expected to take a job with the Florida Marlins.
VELSHI: All right, just ahead on AMERICAN MORNING a stunning new look inside the Washington Monument on the day that the earthquake hit last month. We'll tell you how crews plan to get a better look at damage.
COSTELLO: And President Obama is fired up mocking the Republican presidential candidates, calling out Republicans for booing a gay soldier at a recent debate, but is this new fiery persona resonating? It's our "Talk Back" question this morning.
ROMANS: And this isn't another "Batman" sequel. Watch a man with wings soar from 7,000 feet into a cave.
VELSHI: Cool.
ROMANS: Yes, that's a guy.
VELSHI: Wow!
ROMANS: Right, 9 minutes after the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: A developing story out of Libya this morning. Forces loyal to Libya's new transitional government have seized control of the port in the city of Sirte. That's the hometown of the ousted dictator Moammar Gadhafi. NATO aircraft launching air strikes on Monday to pave the way for the offensive. Anti-Gadhafi fighters have previously taken the port during the day, but they pulled back at night.
ROMANS: When an earthquake rocked the east coast in August, the Washington Monument was hit hard. The Parks Department discovered a big crack at the top and closed the monument to the public. For the first time this morning, we're seeing video from inside the monument from the day the very moment of the quake.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS (voice-over): Walls began to shake. People scramble and debris falls from the ceiling. This is what it looked like inside the Washington Monument when a 5.5 magnitude earthquake hit on August 23rd.
The National Park Service announced Monday that the monument will remain closed indefinitely and that the damage is worse than they originally thought.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The heaviest damage appears to be concentrated at the very top of the monument in what is called the pyramidian where large cracks of up to one and a quarter inch wide developed through stone and mortar joints.
ROMANS: Daylight is visible through some cracks and a significant amount of rainwater has seeped through them, which could cause more damage. Parks official say the monument remains structurally sound, but requires further inspection. Their plan sounds more action movie than Parks Department.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Climbers will rappel all four faces of the Washington monument to perform a close-range survey of the exterior surfaces.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: Parks officials expect the rappelling inspection to last five days, and in addition to surveying the damage, they're going to remove any loose material from the side of the building.
The rappelling begins this morning about 8:00 a.m. and we hope to bring it to you live right here on AMERICAN MORNING when it happens, very cool, rappelling down the side of the monument.
COSTELLO: I hope it's not windy. Can you imagine? That would be scary. Actually, it would be more scary to be inside that Washington monument when the earthquake hit because it's - shaking and you don't know what's happening. You'd want to just get out of there.
JACQUI JERAS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Hey, good morning, guys. A very foggy start for a lot of people out there this morning. So, give yourself a little extra time to get where you need to be. We've got fog advisories. And when there's an advisory, that means that visibility is going to be a quarter of a mile or less.
So, looking at places like Birmingham, up towards Huntsville, into Eastern Kentucky, towards Wilmington and Columbus, Ohio, and into the northeast, New York City, out on Long Island, Hartford over towards Providence and even out on to the cape. So, this is going to last until maybe nine o'clock this morning.
It's already causing problems at the airports. We've got delays around 40 minutes in Philadelphia, and that's trying to get into Philadelphia. And we're expecting more extensive delays across the northeast throughout the morning and maybe some spotty stuff in the afternoon, too. Chicago also looking for problems due to heavy rain. Expecting delays in New York, Boston, D.C., and Miami looking for lots of showers and thunderstorms in the forecast as well.
Most of the weather action today happening across the eastern half of the state or country, rather. We've got this area of low pressure that's been sitting here since the weekend keeping you cool, keeping you damp, and keeping rain in the forecast. We also have an area of high pressure offshore, and that's what's been working to keep bringing all this tropical moisture up and down the east coast.
These two things are finally going to start sliding off just a little bit, and we'll start to watch for some improvement, say, by Thursday. So, in the meantime, looking for a high today of 68. Minneapolis only 60 degrees for you in Chicago. Seen very warm across the southern tier. Lots of 90-degree temperatures yet.
Ninety-four in Dallas, 96 in Houston, and we'll stay in the 70s and 80s up and down the east coast as you get those rain showers moving on in that's going to keep you a little bit cooler from time to time. That's the latest on the forecast. Back to you, guys.
VELSHI: Jacqui, thank you. We will check in with you a little later on. Jacqui Jeras in the Extreme Weather Center.
Now, it's your chance to "Talk Back" on one of the top stories of the day. The question today, is President Obama's new fiery persona resonating?
President Obama is kicking it up a notch these days. Hit with polls showing low approval ratings, the president seems, well, he seems flamed, fired up. As Politico's Roger Simon says, we're seeing a rock 'em, sock 'em Obama. Witness his passion at speech before the Congressional Black Caucus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I expect all of you to march with me and press on! Take off your bedroom slippers. Put on your marching shoes! Shake it off! Stop complaining! Stop grumbling. Stop crying! We are going to press on. We've got work to do. CBC. God bless you and God bless the United States of America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: In case you hadn't noticed, the new alpha Obama first appeared in that jobs speech before for that joint session of Congress, and then, when he blasted the rich for not paying their share of taxes. In a private Democratic fundraiser, President Obama was down right feisty saying about Rick Perry, quote, "You've got a governor whose state is on fire denying climate change."
And Mr. Obama said this about the Republican debate audiences, quote, "Cheering at the prospect of somebody dying because they don't have healthcare and booing a service member in Iraq because they're gay." Come on. No question about it, the president is throwing some red meat out to a liberal base upset that he seems weak in the face of Republican attacks.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAXINE WATERS, (D) CALIFORNIA: We don't have bedroom slippers. We've been out there for years doing this kind of thing. So, we take it that he just kind of got of the teleprompter a little bit and got fired up, and we want to help him. We want to make sure that the base is protected.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: So, the "Talk Back" question for you this morning, is President Obama's new fiery persona resonating? Facebook.com/americanmorning. Facebook.com/americanmorning. I'll read your responses later this hour.
VELSHI: All right. We found the real batman.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: We did.
VELSHI: This is very cool. Check this out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: This is an American professional wing suit flier, Jeb Corliss. He's the bird man, jumping from a top right (ph) nearly 7,000 feet, check this out, soaring through the skydiving into a cave --
ROMANS: No way.
VELSHI: In Central China. Corliss was banned from the Empire State Building last year when he tried to parachute off of it. So, he went to China and decided to do this. I'm looking at this video. I see him coming into this cave. I don't actually see him going in, but reports are that he did. Let's take a look at this for a second. Does he actually get into that cave?
COSTELLO: He just flies right through, it appears. Now, he's going to land.
VELSHI: This is the other side of the trip. All right. Flies through it and goes -- comes out the other end. Very cool either way.
(CROSSTALK)
(END VIDEO CLIP) VELSHI: Didn't it seem like that? The speed he was going at?
ROMANS: yes.
COSTELLO: I didn't even know there were professional wing suit fliers.
VELSHI: I didn't know that either.
ROMANS: There you go. Oh, yes. He's wearing a professional wing suit.
All right. Still ahead, she was called a diabolic she devil. A diabolic she devil. That's what they called her in court yesterday. Today, lawyers for the defense have their turn in the appeal of Amanda Knox, this murder conviction in Italy. The latest on the Amanda Knox story next.
COSTELLO: And there's no secret, the New Jersey governor, Chris Christie, is no fan of the "Jersey Shore" crew. Now, Christie has done away with the so-called Snooki --
ROMANS: What?
COSTELLO: Uh-huh. You know it.
VELSHI: Wow.
COSTELLO: It's 20 minutes past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: Twenty-three minutes after the hour. Welcome back. "Minding Your Business" this morning.
A global rally stretching into the United States this morning. Stock futures are up one day after the Dow and the S&P 500 both gained about 2.5 percent. The gains are fueled by reports of a plan to resolve the European debt crisis.
Efforts also under way to secure another bailout for Greece. That country's prime minister is in Germany and just spoke saying Greece will live up to all its commitments.
Meanwhile, back in Athens, more protests over cutbacks and new property tax to keep the government from defaulting next month.
Back here in the United States, the big banks were some of the biggest winners in yesterday's stock market rally. We'll be watching them today, because they could affect your 401(k). JPMorgan Chase was up more than seven percent, Bank of America up 4.6 percent. Citigroup, Wells Fargo also up.
Speaking of banks, more of them are ditching free checking according to a study by Bank Rate. Just 45 percent of checking accounts don't come with a fee. That's down 20 percentage points from last year, though, often, you can beat the fee by carrying a minimum balance or by making direct deposits to your account.
And after the highest inflation rate in three years, suddenly, folks are worried about deflation. That concern is a slowdown could cut into demand so much that falling prices will hurt the economy more than rising prices will.
Now, on a brighter note, retail giant, Macy's, announcing it will be adding 78,000 temporary jobs this holiday season. That's a four percent increase over last year. The company said the increased hiring is needed because of continued sales growth in stores and online.
AMERICAN MORNING back right after this short break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Just about half past the hour. Good morning to you. Time to check our top stories.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO (voice-over): Opening statements begin this morning in the manslaughter trial of Dr. Conrad Murray if accused of Michael Jackson's death by administering a lethal dose of the anesthetic, propofol. The defense is expected to argue that Murray was trying to wean Jackson off the drug and that he gave the deadly dose. That's in Michael Jackson gave the deadly dose to himself.
VELSHI (voice-over): There will be no government shutdown this weekend. The Senate reaching a bipartisan agreement on a spending plan that keeps FEMA funded and the government operating through mid- November. The house is expected to pass the measure.
ROMANS (voice-over): Surveillance video given us the first look at the terrifying moments for people inside the Washington Monument during last month's earthquake. The monument has been closed now to the public since the quake. This morning, crews will be rappelling down the side to check for additional damage.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: She was called a diabolic she devil in court yesterday. Today, defense attorneys are giving closing arguments in the Amanda Knox appeal trial in Italy. Amanda Knox, herself, is expected to make a personal plea to go free this week.
Matthew Chance is covering the case. He's live in Italy this morning. So, she's preparing -- I mean, it's just so strange that she can either get a life sentence or she can walk completely free.
MATTHEW CHANCE, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's not just a stark choice between that. I mean, another option for the court is to find Amanda Knox guilty of a lesser crime than murder and to reduce her sentence, and that's certainly a possibility.
But, you know, we won't really know for sure, Carol, until next week, early next week, possibly as early as Monday, when the court has heard all the defense arguments, all the prosecution arguments, all the rebuttals and go in and make its decision. And so, we are in the final phases, but we're not quite there yet.
COSTELLO: So, how is she preparing to make this final statement, Amanda Knox? Because she's been effective in court, and she's been not so effective, to her detriment.
CHANCE: Yes. And, certainly, I think it's fair to say that over the past few days here, when the prosecutors have been making their arguments -- I mean, they really stuck the boot in when it came to Amanda Knox, basically telling the court, telling the jury that she was a loose woman, that she drank beer, that she smoked marijuana, that she invited lots of strange men back to her apartment and much worse than that.
Of course, you mentioned one of the lawyers got up and said this woman is a she-devil -- she's got a personality that's split between being angelic on the one side and satanic on the other side.
So, these kinds of very kind of colorful phrases being used by the prosecution to characterize Amanda Knox, it's something we spoke to her dad about afterwards. And he told us about how difficult it was to listen. Take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CURT KNOX, FATHER OF AMANDA KNOX: This particular lawyer, even during the first trial essentially did the same thing, and it was extraordinarily hard to listen to, and it was even harder for Amanda, because, you know, she hears it all in Italian and can understand it, where I can only understand bits and pieces of it, and I can, you know, see her wincing in her face periodically. And it was very tough for her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
CHANCE: Well, the tone of the trial, though now, Carol, completely changing, because this is the defense this time to sell up their arguments and already the defense lawyer speaking at the moment has been sharply critical of all those comments about Amanda Knox, utterly rejecting them and also being very critical about the police investigation as well which led to her arrest and eventual conviction for the murder of Meredith Kercher -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Matthew Chance reporting live for us this morning, thank you.
VELSHI: Joran van der Sloot has now confessed on tape to a murder of a young woman in Peru in pretty good detailed, too. Video of the interrogation was aired by America TV, a CNN affiliate in Peru. In it, van der Sloot describes how he hit, strangled and killed Stephany Flores. He says he did it after he discovered that she had looked him up on the web. Of course, van der Sloot was connected to but never charged with the disappearance of Alabama teen Natalee Holloway when she was with a school trip in Aruba.
ROMANS: Also new this morning, Sarah Palin seems ready to challenge the author of a controversial new book. Palin's lawyer notified the book's author, Joe McGinniss and his publisher that Palin may sue for the, quote, "lies, innuendos and smears" in McGinniss' new book called "The Rogue." McGinniss defended the book when he was here on AMERICAN MORNING, saying the former Alaska governor lived an outrageous life and all he did was talk to people about it.
VELSHI: And move in next door to her.
COSTELLO: That was research. Research.
VELSHI: Yes.
COSTELLO: Charlie Sheen is making peace with the people who fired him from the CBS sitcom "Two and a Half Men." The two sides agreeing to settle on a $100 million lawsuit Sheen brought against Warner Brothers and the producer Chuck Lorre, followed Sheen firing back in March after a public meltdown that included verbal attacks against Lorre.
VELSHI: And this one this one troubles me a little bit. There's no more Snooki subsidy.
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie vetoed a $420,000 tax credit that would have gone to the production company behind the "Jersey Shore." Christie has been a verbal critic of the show and the state's tax incentive program.
He says taxpayers can't afford to support a program that tarnishes the state's reputation. It's a good thing Hollywood doesn't have those kinds of problems.
ROMANS: Isn't this how you get production to come to your town?
(CROSSTALK)
VELSHI: But you know what? This is part of Chris Christie's, you know, cutting subsidies, lower taxes, and now, there's renewed attention on him to run. He's on three-state tour. Donors are trying to really push him into running for the presidency. So, I'm not sure Chris Christie -- I'm not the one who speak for him -- cares all that much about the Snooki tax or "Jersey Shore." I think this is the optics.
COSTELLO: You're obviously not Italian American.
VELSHI: I love the "Jersey Shore." Come on. You don't like the "Jersey Shore"?
COSTELLO: No.
VELSHI: None of it?
COSTELLO: No. I don't.
VELSHI: The Ron Ron juice?
COSTELLO: No.
ROMANS: I don't even know what that is.
VELSHI: It's watermelon and vodka and --
ROMANS: All right.
Up next on AMERICAN MORNING: President Obama reaching out to African-Americans who say they've been forgotten, but can he get them back into the fold?
VELSHI: Actually, it's Ron Ron juice.
COSTELLO: Oh, thanks for clarifying.
VELSHI: Yes.
COSTELLO: They have a lot of guys when they don't have to post their name or show their face. Now, web trolls aren't anonymous anymore. How Facebook is helping bring accountability to the web.
It's 34 past the hour.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING.
With his poll numbers slipping among African-Americans, President Obama is launching an outreach campaign. First, a fiery speech this past weekend before the Congressional Black Caucus, and again last night in an interview with Black Entertainment Television. But the president is also making it clear that no one gets a handout.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why target the American community? Why not say then, this is for you?
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: That's not how America works. America works when all of us are pulling together and everybody is focused on making sure that every single person has opportunity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: OK. Let's talk about the challenges facing President Obama in the African-American community.
I want to talk with Robert Traynham. He's the D.C. bureau chief for the Comcast Network and a former Republican adviser. And James Paterson, he's a blogger with "Washington Post" and director of Africana studies at Lehigh University. They're joining us now from Philadelphia this morning.
Robert, let me start with you.
Good morning to both of you.
JAMES PETERSON, LEHIGH UNIVERSITY: Good morning.
ROBERT TRAYNHAM, D.C. BUREAU CHIEF, COMCAST NETWORK: Good morning.
VELSHI: You heard the answer President Obama got about weren't of the criticisms he's been receiving, why he's not specifically targeting help for the African-American community. Now, the bottom line is, while jobless number, unemployment rates have always been higher for blacks in America, the spread has increased under his administration, which is ironic.
Do you think he answered the question well about whether things should be done differently for black America than America as a whole?
TRAYNHAM: No, I don't. Here's the reason why -- look, I admire this president for saying what he believes and believing what he says. You know, that's refreshing in American politics when a president speaks with his head and also with his heart and speaking unfiltered.
However, you can't have this argument that, you know, all of the largest votes when, in fact, when you take a look at national unemployment rate, it's 9.1 percent across the country, but in the black community, it's 16 percent or 17 percent -- which tells me that you need a very targeted message and a very specific program for brown people and also for urban areas. There's no question about it.
President Bush had it. It was called Enterprise Zones. President Clinton had it. It was called Targeting in the Black Community.
So, President Obama really needs to have that type of message to the black community if, in fact, he wants to win re-election.
VELSHI: The unemployment rate for -- as you pointed out -- for blacks in America has always been about 50 percent higher than the national average. But now, it's greater than that. The spread is substantially higher.
James, I want you to listen to a little more of last night's interview, and tell me what you think of this. Listen to this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: All I get from the African-American community as I travel around the country is, we know it's hard, but we're praying for you, and we're behind you. The main thing I want the African-American community to know is just those prayers are appreciated, their rooting for me is appreciated.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: Jim Paterson --
PETERSON: Peterson.
VELSHI: I'm sorry, Peter -- James Peterson. I apologize.
The criticism we've been hearing a lot from some members of the Congressional Black Caucus has been directed at President Obama for, as Robert said, not doing enough in urban centers and for African- Americans. Here the president is saying that what he gets -- the message he gets from African-Americans is that they're praying for him. This stood out for you?
PETERSON: It really did. Well, first of all, the president has promised neighborhoods and promised zones and, yes, he does have initiatives that are targeted specifically towards the most challenged urban areas in America right now. So I'm not sure way we can't talk about that.
But, yes, this moment in the interview on BET certainly struck a cord, because I believe that this is more an honest assessment of the interaction that the president is experiencing when he's out there on the road. I would also argue that the CBC speech is similarly thematically construed in the sense that he's tapping into a civil rights era, Christian ethos within the African-American community. And when he's out there on the road, I think people are feeling him on that.
VELSHI: All right. Let me ask you, Robert, then. Maxine Waters has been one of those people who's been -- it's kind of a strange road that some of the members of the Congressional Black Caucus are walking. They're critical, maybe they need to be in order to cater to constituencies. They're not entirely non-supportive.
Let's listen to what Maxine Waters said last night on "THE SITUATION ROOM" with Wolf Blitzer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. MAXINE WATERS (D), CALIFORNIA: We want to see the president more in African-American communities. But the work that we did was what caused the conversation to take place. We focus on what the needs are, and the president heard us. And because the president heard us, he was saying African-American, he was saying black for the first time in his speech.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
VELSHI: And, of course, Robert, she's referring to this Congressional Black Caucus speech that he made on the weekend where he said, "Expect all of you to march with me and press on, take off your bedroom slippers, put on your marching shoes, shake it up, stop complaining, stop grumbling, stop crying, we're going to press on. We've got work to do."
Do you think Congresswoman Maxine Waters is right, that they've influenced the president to start talking about blacks and saying blacks and saying African-Americans?
TRAYNHAM: I think so. You know, it's not just Maxine Waters. It's Emanuel Cleaver, who's chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus. It's Cornell West and some others.
You know, it's a very interesting dichotomy that the black community is facing right now because I'm sure many, many Americans or black Americans are praying for the president. However, they want a good-paying job. So, you know, they're praying for his well-being. They're very sensitive to the fact that he absolutely is the first African-American.
However, they need a job. And they also want him to speak to the issues that are facing the black community.
So, you know, it's not just Maxine Waters. It's grassroots people. But it's also grass tops people as well.
VELSHI: James Peterson, you said the president is working in urban areas. I mean, it's hard to believe that a guy who was an organizer from the south side of Chicago wouldn't care about urban communities. But the fact is -- I mean, it does seem that President Obama gets more attention on this issue.
Is it because these black? Is it because things are worse for African-Americans now? Is it because the economy is worse? Or do you think all of it is unfair?
PETERSON: Well, I don't think all of it is unfair, but certainly some of it is. It seems like when some areas, there's a double standard.
But we should focus on the constructive things the president is doing. You can't say he's not working in urban areas and you can't say he doesn't care about black folk. Those things don't make sense when you look at the record.
The bottom line is, over the course of his term, with $3.6 billion to black businesses. You know, when you talk about the Affordable Health Care Act, that helps black folk disproportionally. Think about what Attorney General Eric Holder has done in terms of census disparity and all the prison industrial complex, there are a lot of things the president has done that directly impacts the African-American community. And those things are important to talk about.
But my colleague over here is absolutely correct. What the CBC has done, and the work they did does help, because it shows America that jobs can be put on center stage. And sometimes the way politics works is: your constituency has to get out there and support you and support the things that we need to see happen in order for the president to be able to come out stronger and come out more forceful for the issues that we want him to.
VELSHI: Robert, I'll give you the last word on this.
TRAYNHAM: Just very quickly, what the American people want, whether you're left-handed or right-handed, African-American or Latino -- they want to look into the television screen and see that the president is speaking to them. They want to make sure that the president understands exactly they're going through.
And that's the conversation that the African-American community is having right now. They like him. They love him. We like him, but the conversation is or the question is, is he looking out for my best interests economically? That's the question.
VELSHI: Right. And I think we all agree that you're right. If a lot more people had jobs, lower proportion of unemployed people, people would be generally happier no matter what color the president was.
PETERSON: That's that jobs act.
VELSHI: Good to talk to you both. Robert Traynham is a former Republican advisor. He's the D.C. bureau chief for the Comcast Network. James Peterson is the director of African Studies and the associate producer of English at Lehigh University. He's also a blogger with the "Huffington Post." Thanks, gentlemen.
PETERSON: Thank you for having me.
TRAYNHAM: Thank you.
COSTELLO: Great discussion.
VELSHI: It was good. Yes.
COSTELLO: Still to come on AMERICAN MORNING, is President Obama's new fiery persona resonating? That's our "Talk Back" question of the morning. Your responses coming up.
ROMANS: Plus, he came, he saw, he takes himself into the NFL record books more from this Monday night football performance. There you go. Forty-six minutes after the hour.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MIKE SPEENBERG, STAND-UP COMEDIAN: My name is Mike Speenberg, and I'm a traveling stand-up comedian from Atlanta, Georgia. And I'm on the road about 42 weeks a year.
There ain't no party like (INAUDIBLE)
I've done nine different countries. I've done on four different continents. I've been to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. I've been to Iraq. I've been to Kuwait. I've been to Djibouti Africa. I've been to Okinawa, Japan. I fly a lot more now. For the first five years, I was in my car a lot. I've been through three cars. I hit two deer. They hit me.
My merchandise bag that I travel everywhere with. Ta-da. I have my airplane pillow, and it unzips into a blanket and a blowup pillow. I decided to go overseas and do stand-up for the military. As long as they're over there, I'll keep going back. You learn a lot about yourself when you black hawk (ph) and you cross Iraq.
It's fun to look down to see a guy with the machine gun, and everyone is smiling and trying to tell you jokes.
I appreciate you guys for hanging out today and learning about what I do and how I spend my life. I hope to see you in a comedy club down the road real soon.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ROMANS: Good morning. It's 49 minutes past the hour. Here's what you need to know to start your day.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS: The Michael Jackson death trial begins this morning in Los Angeles with opening statements. Dr. Conrad Murray is charged with involuntary manslaughter. Prosecutors allege he caused Jackson's death by administering a lethal dose of the anesthetic, propofol.
A government shutdown averted. The Senate reaching a bipartisan agreement on a spending plan. It keeps FEMA fund flowing to natural disaster victims and keeps government running through mid-November. The house is expected to approve that deal.
Yemen's defense minister surviving an apparent assassination attempt this morning. officials say a car packed with explosives was detonated by remote control near his convoy. Seven Yemeni soldiers were injured.
Terror inside the Washington Monument. A surveillance camera shows people running for the stairs, running for their lives at the moment the east coast earthquake hit last month. Engineers will rappel down the sides of the monument this morning checking for additional damage.
And the Dallas Cowboys winning Monday night football all on the leg of their place kicker. Dan Bailey scored all of his team's points in an 18-16 win, tying an NFL rookie record of six field goals in just one game.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ROMANS (on-camera): That's the news you need to start your day. AMERICAN MORNING is back after this.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
VELSHI: Welcome back to AMERICAN MORNING. They are known at web trolls. People who write whatever they want in the comments section of websites or on message boards no matter how ignorant or flat out untrue.
COSTELLO (ph): Or racist. VELSHI: Or racist. The posts are almost always signed anonymous. Now, thanks to Facebook. The trolls are being revealed. Casey Wian has the story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CASEY WIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Chuck Muell is a regular reader of the "San Diego Union Tribune's" website. He became a frequent commenter after reading a story about a 15-year-old rock- throwing Mexican boy who was shot and killed by a border patrol agent last year. Mel posted a commented critical in the board of patrol's tactics.
CHUCK MUELL, SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE READER: I was astounded by the responses that I got from other people. The hateful, hateful responses.
WIAN: On many news sites, reader comments sometimes deteriorate into name calling, racial slurs, even threats. The Union Tribune homepage editor, Tom Mallory, adopted a policy this month that seeks to clean up the comments while avoiding the expense of round the clock monitors.
TOM MALLORY, HOMEPAGE EDITOR, S.D. UNION TRIBUNE: I've had interns moderating the comments and had to warn them. Son, I'm going to expose you to the dark underbelly of the human soul here. Be prepared. It's a very rough place.
WIAN: Union Tribune readers who want to comment on a news article now must use Facebook to verify their identities.
MALLORY: The real name, the real identity makes debate better, makes conversation better. It brings respect. It brings a level up there that is just lacking when it's I've been pimp 201 versus (INAUDIBLE) versus this person.
WIAN: But many regular commenters, including Mel, don't like giving up their anonymity.
MUELL: If somebody else is unhappy with something that I have to say, then, they have direct access to me in some fashion. They can look my name up on the phone book. They can look me up on the web. They can make me a target.
WIAN: The Union Tribune says Facebook's identity verification tool will help keep internet bullies at bay.
MALLORY: Looking at this profile, I don't see a lot here that indicates this is a real person.
WIAN: Other news websites including the "Los Angeles Times" and "New York Times" are using Facebook to some degree.
NOAH ARCENEAUX, MEDIA STUDIES PROF., SAN DIEGO STATE: I can see it dampening some of the debate, but I can totally understand why they would implement this policy, you know? If there is a lot of hate speech, a lot of violent stuff, you're going to alienate to readers.
MALLORY: If you have to say stupid or teabagger or communist, you're not going to convince the other person of the argument.
WIAN: Mallory says the change has reduced the number of commenters on stories, though, he expects a friendlier environment will attract new voices. Not Mel, who may start his own blog to protect his anonymity.
Casey Wian, CNN, San Diego.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: We asked you to "Talk Back" on one of the big stories of the day, you know, talking about intelligent Facebook conversations. We have one going on this morning.
VELSHI: Yes.
COSTELLO: The question we asked you this morning, is President Obama's new fiery persona resonating?
This from Heather off of Facebook, "Obama, the great campaigner, was fired up in 2008 in the same way when he was campaigning, so it's all a game to him. He gets fired up when he wants the job."
This from Laura, "A little fire in the belly never hurt anyone. Lead with conviction and you will be believed. I think he's resonating loud and clear."
And this from Daniel, "Feel goods to see him get as impassioned about the issues as those of us who supported him in 2008 were. I want this to mean he's finally driven to take dramatic steps. I'm cautiously optimistic in keeping with the Batman theme. It's not about who you are underneath, it's what you do that defines you."
I agree with that one, Daniel. Facebook.com/americanmorning, if you'd like to continue the conversation.
ROMANS: All right. Head next hour, doctor on trial for killing Michael Jackson. Opening statements scheduled just hours from now. Who will we hear from in this case? We are live outside in the courthouse. It's 55 minutes after the hour.
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