Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Saturday Morning News

Orchestrated Assault in Lahore, Pakistan Ends With American Businessman Kidnapped; Police Still on Scene in Pennsylvania Turnpike Bus Crash; Ames Straw Poll Underway in Iowa; Strategists Break Down the Race for the GOP Nomination; Trip on a Tank: Virginia

Aired August 13, 2011 - 09:00   ET

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

T.J. HOLMES, CNN ANCHOR: We are coming up on the top of the hour here now on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING. And hello to you all, hope you're having a good Saturday to so far. We certainly appreciate you being right here with us.

Give you a look at some of the stories that are making headlines. A couple of developing stories this morning.

An American businessman has been abducted in Pakistan. Police in Lahore describe it as a well orchestrated assault of his compound and bodyguards. The U.S. embassy identifying the man as Warren Weinstein; he's a Fulbright scholar specializing in economic development and international law. Police say as many as ten men overpowered his security detail then sped away in two vehicles.

Back here in the U.S. now. We are just a few hours away from that man, Texas Governor Rick Perry's expected announcement that he is running for president. A Perry White House bid is expected to really shake things up for the current GOP presidential hopefuls. We will be carrying his announcement live at 1:00 Eastern right here on CNN.

Also another developing story, we are continuing to get information on in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Police still on the scene of a bad crash on the Pennsylvania turnpike. This crash involves at least 23 people who have been injured on a Greyhound bus that overturned early this morning. Three people, we know of, had to be airlifted from the scene. Again, we continue to get more details on this developing story. We'll bring you those details as we get them.

But at the top of the hour here, let's start with that big party going on in Iowa, but at the end of the day some Republican presidential candidates might not be celebrating. They could be looking for the exits.

Here's who is on this Iowa Straw Poll, this Ames straw poll ballot today. We've got nine names there, including a few who aren't even taking part in today's event. Mitt Romney is one who is skipping the event even though his name remains on the ballot.

CNN's deputy political director Paul Steinhauser joins me now from Ames, Iowa, the site of today's straw poll. Paul, explain, if you win this nobody gives you a prize. You don't win an office. But still, you're showing today, whether it's first, second, third, or fourth, is a big deal.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN DEPUTY POLITICAL DIRECTOR: It is a big deal. T.J., this is a straw poll unlike any other. We're here on the campus of Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa. Right behind me that's the Hilton Coliseum. You can see we brought the bus, of course. We got a state fair yesterday. We brought it up here today.

And listen, this is part party, part fundraiser, and definitely part of straw poll, an early test, an early barometer of the campaign strength. While it may not anoint any Republican nominee, it won't do that. It could weed out some of the candidates at the lower end, candidates who don't do well here. The party's already beginning 50 yards to the left of me. Tim Pawlenty's campaign has set up their tent area. They got a band rocking already. That's what happens. Everybody votes inside behind me there in Hilton Coliseum. That's where the candidates, they make their speeches but the campaigns have all tents all around the coliseum.

There's music, there's food, there's entertainment. Remember, it's a vote here you have to be an Iowa resident. But the campaigns can bus those people in. They can pay for that $30 entrance fee for those people to vote. So it really is in a way an early test of the campaign strength, T.J.

HOLMES: OK. Forgive me, Paul, and apologize to the photographer, I don't know who you have on the camera there but we heard the music. It sounds like -- it's still playing behind you. Can you show me some of that party atmosphere? We hear this rock 'n roll band playing but we can't necessarily see the scene. So I don't know if you can move the camera. But as you continue to describe what's going to happen here today, can we see any of it?

STEINHAUSER: T.J. (INAUDIBLE) is there any way to pan over there? It may not be the prettiest shot in the world to show that music. Let me just show you, T.J.

(AUDIO GAP)

HOLMES: You see what I get for asking? That's my fault. You see what I get for asking? And we lose the signal.

We apologize there. But we were trying to show you some of that band playing. We could hear the band, wanted to see the band. We'll get Paul Steinhauser back up. I'm sure we'll be able to show you some of that atmosphere.

But, again, that voting expected to get started there. Big day today. Again, it's an expectations game today. Even if you come in second. Well, if you're expected to come in first, that could still be a bad day for you. That's kind of what this means but it could help weed out some people today.

We will have live coverage of the results of the Iowa straw poll. They come in a little later today. Don Lemon, Candy Crowley will be here for a special on CNN, "THE IOWA STRAW POLL" that comes your way at 7:00 Eastern time.

You know who else is in Iowa right now? Sarah Palin. She's not necessarily stealing the spotlight, she says, but, of course, anywhere she goes, you know, the cameras are going to follow.

Her bus tour pulled into the state fair of Des Moines yesterday. She was walking through the crowd and some of the GOP hopefuls were actually on stage making their pitches. Palin still has not decided whether or not she will get into the race.

Now, somebody who sounds like he has decided is Governor Rick Perry. Republican voters may have their eyes on Iowa, but a lot of eyes still in South Carolina where he's going to be. That's where he's expected to make his announcement today that he will be getting into the race.

Jim Acosta is live for us in Charlotte. Jim, good morning to you. A lot of people, including a lot of conservatives, this is a day they have been waiting on.

JIM ACOSTA, CNN POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT: That's right, T.J. There's no fried butter on a stick. No band behind me so I can't pan the camera.

But Rick Perry is very much trying to steal the spotlight this weekend. He's going to be at this red state conference that's going on here in Charleston in a few hours from now. This is a conference of conservative activists. It's a speech that Perry had signed on to deliver months ago. But now it's taken on greater importance.

He is expected to announce that he's running for president today. He's going to layout a conservative vision for America. He's going to talking about his economic record back in Texas and say that's what I want to bring to America. More jobs, a stronger economy. Democrats are obviously going to be taking their shots at Rick Perry. We're going to see that over the coming days because he is really emerging as a top tier Republican contender in this field.

And he was test driving a little bit of his speech last night down in Alabama, talking to a different conference of Republicans down in that state. And he said that what he wants to do is shrink the size of government in Washington and reduce the national debt. Here's what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GOV. RICK PERRY (R), TEXAS: If we don't get the federal government under control, if we don't get this debt issue addressed, we break this choke hold on that Washington has on the private sector. The consequences are going to be unthinkable.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: Now, Governor Perry is going to be getting into a very busy campaign schedule over the coming days. He is expected to go to New Hampshire right after this speech here in South Carolina where he's going to be talking to Republicans up there. And then on to Iowa. And T.J., he's picked a very unique location, very interesting location for his speech in Iowa tomorrow. It is the same exact location where Michele Bachmann announced her candidacy for the presidency several weeks ago.

So Rick Perry obviously is already starting to show he knows how to throw elbows in this race.

HOLMES: OK. Is he also showing he knows how to make a splash because the word started leaking out this week that he was going to make an announcement that he's running, that started on the same day the Republicans are were on stage in Iowa for the debate and now here we are on the day of the Ames straw poll talking about Rick Perry.

ACOSTA: Yes. I mean, this is a stroke of political genius. They did not have the political operation on the ground in Iowa. If Rick Perry had tried to go in at the last second to try to win this Ames straw poll he would not have had the organization in place to do that.

Tim Pawlenty has a huge organization in place and he's talking about whether or not he's going to make it beyond Ames. You know, we're hearing some of that from the Pawlenty camp. So very, very wisely and his team very shrewdly chose this event that they had already signed on to in a key early voting state.

Remember South Carolina is one of the very first primary contests in the Republican field coming up next year. So this was very much designed, T.J., to step on all of the activity out there in Ames, Iowa, this weekend and to bring the attention to Rick Perry. And he's going to do it. This speech will be one of the top stories today if not the top story of the political day and throughout the weekend.

HOLMES: All right. Mission accomplished. Governor Perry. Jim Acosta, good to see you, as always.

Now we have seven minutes past the hour. We have brought in our friends early. Lenny McAllister and Maria Cardona, our Democrat and Republican friends of our show here on CNN Saturday and Sunday.

Good morning.

We actually have Lenny out in Iowa for us this weekend. We are trying to make sense of this Republican field and what this straw poll today actually means. They're with me after the break.

Stay here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Eleven minutes past the hour now on this CNN SATURDAY MORNING.

And today the political focus is on Iowa and South Carolina. In Iowa, six Republican candidates are actively campaigning to win a straw poll at the state fair. Tim Pawlenty and Michelle Bachmann, a lot of people will tell you have the most riding on the outcome. They certainly seem like they know that because they went after each other in this week's debate.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TIM PAWLENTY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: The record of accomplishment and results is nonexistent.

REP. MICHELLE BACHMANN (R-MN), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: You said the era of small government was over. That sounds a lot more like Barack Obama, if you ask me.

PAWLENTY: It's not her spine we're worried about. It's her record of results. Please stop because you're killing us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HOLMES: So Mitt Romney meanwhile and Jon Huntsman and Newt Gingrich are also on the ballot for the straw poll but they've all decided to take a pass in actively campaigning and competed there. So they're not there right now.

Two people who aren't on the ballot there at all still making a lot of noise this weekend. Sarah Palin, she brought her bus tour to Iowa, got a lot of attention, of course; and Rick Perry in South Carolina where he is expected to announce his presidential bid later today.

Joining me to talk about this race, Democratic strategist Maria Cardona in Washington and from the state fair in Iowa, Republican strategist Lenny McAllister. Friends of our show.

Good to have you all here.

MARIA CARDONA, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST: Thank you, T.J.

HOLMES: A little early.

LENNY MCALLISTER, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Good morning.

HOLMES: Let me start with, I guess, who is the bigger story right now, Maria? Is it Rick Perry, is it Sarah Palin, or the Republican field?

CARDONA: I think it's definitely Rick Perry, T.J., because clearly that's what everyone and frankly a lot of GOP voters who are not happy with the current field have been waiting for them to jump in. Now what I think is that now that he's in all of the rest of the Republican contenders really are now very wary because I think he's going to try to overshadow them all.

HOLMES: Lenny, who has the most to win or lose today, because it's an expectation's game. And even if Michele Bachmann comes in second or third, some might look at that and call that a bad showing. So between her and Pawlenty, I guess who has the most to gain or to lose today?

MCALLISTER: Well, if it's between Pawlenty and Bachmann it's absolutely positively Tim Pawlenty. Listen, this is going to be another governor jumping into this race. He didn't look very good at the first debate. He looked like he was going cat and mouse with Michele Bachmann at the second debate.

If he's not strong in this showing today you could see signs of him fading into the sunset. It's going to start becoming more of a Perry/Romney type of race for the top. I keep telling you that I think Bachmann is more slotted for that number two. I can see her if she comes out here number two, one, two or three here she's still strong for that.

So again between Pawlenty and Bachmann, it's definitely Pawlenty that has more to lose or gain today.

HOLMES: Maria. Maria, what is Sarah Palin doing?

CARDONA: She's like the belle of the ball who just gets really mad when she's not getting all of the attention. So I think that she is trying to basically ruin it for the rest of the contenders by making sure that she does get all of the attention. We know that that is one thing that she's incredibly good at.

Right now, look, we're talking about her. She's not in this race. I never thought that she would be serious about getting into the race. But that's the question that still remains. What is Sarah Palin going to be doing?

HOLMES: Is that fair to say, though, Lenny, that she wants attention necessarily? And Maria put it there as she's there trying to steal the attention or ruin it for the rest of them. Is that necessarily fair to say?

MCALLISTER: She is not a politician at this time. She is television pundit that has a lot of insider information. If you're going to be a Republican insider why wouldn't you be in Iowa at this time? I don't think she's going to run for the presidency which means as a media hit she should be here this weekend. It makes perfect sense for her to be here. People coming with expectations that she's going to run because she's here, I think is a little misguided though.

HOLMES: Last thing here and I need you all to give me 30 seconds each on this last question. And yes, it has to do with the president right now. Certainly a rough number of days with economic news, on Wall Street, whether it's the credit rating going down, whether it's the number of Americans killed on that helicopter in Afghanistan. The president making kind of a Midwest swing now.

Maria, what does the president need to do? What is he trying to do with this swing he's making before he goes on vacation?

CARDONA: Well I think what he's doing is exactly what needs to be doing, which is focusing on jobs and focusing on the middle class and the working class in the country, T.J., who have been hardest hit by the economic situation.

And what's interesting is that what's going on in Iowa with the Republican debate and what is going this weekend, we are seeing a huge contrast between the most extreme conservatives of the Republican Party who want to do nothing for the middle class and protect millionaires and billionaires and President Obama whose policies will focus on trying to grow and protect the middle class from all of the dangerous policies that Republicans are trying to put in place.

HOLMES: All right. Lenny, you wrap it up for me.

MCALLISTER: Well, I think that President Obama needs to start raising up America again and stop trying to raise money for his reelection campaign. He needs to go back to Washington, forget about vacation, get Congress back in there and start nailing out these solutions. This is something that him going around the country at this time is unacceptable. He needs to get back to Washington and get everybody back to work.

HOLMES: All right. Lenny in Iowa for us, Maria in D.C., actually going to be talking to you all again next hour. So good to have you all early. We do this when we know we know we have a big political weekend. So we certainly appreciate you all being willing to do it. So wee you again shortly.

CARDONA: See you in a bit, T.J.

MCALLISTER: Good to be here. God bless.

HOLMES: All right. Stay with CNN. We will have more on the Iowa Straw Poll results when they come in later today with our Don Lemon and Candy Crowley hosting a special report "THE IOWA STRAW POLL" at 7:00 Eastern time tonight.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Twenty minutes past the hour.

Reynolds Wolf taking you on a trip on one tank of gas. You can actually do this?

REYNOLDS WOLF, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Are you a car trip guy?

HOLMES: Not really.

WOLF: Really?

HOLMES: I hate driving. Driving more than 30 minutes I got a problem.

WOLF: A lot of people they don't have much of a choice anymore because we're in a situation where the economy is so poor that a lot of people can't afford to take the family of four across the country.

HOLMES: Across the country.

WOLF: You got people that are getting back in the car. They're filling up the tank and they're going out to explore, re-find America.

HOLMES: Old school.

WOLF: Old school style, old school fun. Check out our latest trip.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

WOLF (on camera): Today's "Trip On A Tank" starts in Norfolk, Virginia which is the home of the USS Wisconsin. This beautiful battleship's day happens to be over. But our day is just getting underway. A long trip all the way from Norfolk to Washington, D.C. Let's get going.

When you go on any trip, it is very important to have a great crew. Thankfully we have photojournalist Jeremy Long with us.

JEREMY LONG, CNN PHOTOJOURNALIST: At your service, governor.

WOLF: We also have producer Alicia Eagan.

Alicia, How many miles are we going today?

ALICIA EAGAN, CNN PRODUCER: About 350.

WOLF: Three hundred and fifty, oh, yes. First stop? Smithfield, Virginia. That is the ham capital of the world. That is great if you are hungry. The problem is this is a prop. We need the real deal.

Unfortunately, as you know, reality can sometimes be a little bit harsh. Here at the Isle of Whyte Museum in Smithfield, Virginia, take a look at this. Oh, my gosh. It is the world's oldest edible ham. The one right there in the middle.

Tracey Neikirk, the museum's curator is here.

Tracey, how do we know this thing is edible?

TRACEY NEIKIRK, CURATOR, ISLE OF WIGHT COUNTY MUSEUM: It is the wonderful curing process here at Smithfield Ham. A combination of smoke and salt and it is cured in 1902. We think you can still eat it. We haven't cut into it.

WOLF: I'll take your word for it. Wow.

Something else that is cool here. Check it out. It is the world's oldest peanut. Amazing, here in Smithfield. You think something that neat would have its own museum, wouldn't it?

Here in Waverly, Virginia, dreams for peanuts do come true; it is the first peanut museum in the United States.

Alicia, is it open?

EAGAN: It's locked. WOLF: And we're going.

Next stop on the road takes us to Colonial Williamsburg. This is a place, that despite the hot day, it is frozen in time. The proof is all around you. You have the old tavern, you have the wig maker, even a silversmith on one side. What it does is it brings you back to a simpler time; a time without air conditioning. Let me tell you it is hot.

Jeremy, you ready to get back in the car? Yes, me too.

I'm feeling nostalgic a little nostalgic, right about now.

LONG: Me, too. I'm thinking Civil War.

WOLF: The next stop on our trip brings us here to the wilderness in Virginia. More specifically to the final resting place of Stonewall Jackson's left arm. The Confederate general lost his arm on May 3, 1863. He lost his left arm. I'd give my right arm to get out of here. Let's get going.

Along the journey, we have been finding bits and pieces of Americana. What we found in Stillhouse Distillery in Culpepper, Virginia, is really no exception. Now, they are making moonshine, and corn whiskey in this premises. Distiller Brendan Wheatley is with us.

And Brendan, these really are the all-American spirits, aren't they?

BRENDAN WHEATLEY, ASST. DISTILLER, STILLHOUSE DISTILLERY: This whiskey and style of whiskey has been made for over 400 years here in the United States. And we try and carry on the tradition.

WOLF: A lot of tradition, with a lot of bottles. Let's watch them roll.

Well these bottles are on the move, and so are we.

Well, we finally made it. Washington, D.C., right behind me you can see the Washington Monument, beyond that, the Lincoln Memorial. If you pivot all the back around over here, you have the Nation's Capitol; 350.7 miles from Norfolk here to D.C. and what a trip it was. A little bit of Americana mixed in. I hope you enjoyed it. We will see you next time down the road.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WOLF: Now to be honest with you we probably could have gone a little bit farther but you know, it was a long day, we tried to stop right there. But you know, you have a few options. And believe it or not the trip itself is not very expensive.

In fact, we got a budget for you. You can take this (INAUDIBLE) and give you an idea of what it's like. The gas you see there, well it's under $100. You see the breakfast. We had breakfast at Smithfield. That was - let's see $17.22. Lunch was 15 bucks in Williamsburg. We actually stopped at a barbecue place which was a hollowed out trailer on the side of the road. Awesome stuff. And the total for three people, you see right there, $121. It's a way you can do it cheaper, you can pack your own lunches.

HOLMES: But again, the museums and the stuff you were talking at, stopping at, all that stuff is free.

WOLF: Yes, all free, just walk in and enjoy it.

HOLMES: All right. And he says the responses have been coming in. Keep sending them, he says.

WOLF: On Facebook.

HOLMES: (INAUDIBLE) I'm the only one on there. Enjoy it. Great feedback. A lot of people tried to get us on Texas, some on the East Coast, some out west. It's good stuff.

HOLMES: Good stuff. Reynolds, thank you. Quick break and we are right back, folks.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HOLMES: Checking some of the stories making headlines this morning. Police in Lahore, Pakistan, are looking for an American businessman who is abducted in the middle of the night. Authorities there describe the kidnapping of Fulbright scholar Warren Weinstein as a well orchestrated assault. As many as 10 men overpowered the security detail in his compound and took off with him. As of now there are no claims of responsibility or ransom demands.

Meanwhile, Republican presidential hopefuls face their first real hurdle in the race for the White House. The Iowa GOP holding it's straw poll this morning. It happens as Texas Governor Rick Perry is expected to formally join the political fray and announce his candidacy this afternoon. We will carry that announcement live from South Carolina at 1:00 p.m. Eastern time.

Also, police arrested dozens of people in Philadelphia between the ages of 14 and 17. A story we are tracking as it develops. We'll be going next hour to Philadelphia for a live report. So I'll be back with you at the top of the hour with more live news.

But right now, it's Christine Romans in "YOUR BOTTOM LINE."