Transcripts For CNN EarlyStart 20120904

york. >> and i'm john berman in charlotte, north carolina live at the cnn grill. the convention gavels to order in the afternoon. then the party will spend the next three days trying to sell the message that we are, in fact, better off now than we were four years ago. they have had trouble with that one so far. they suggest they would have a better plan for the future. tonight's main attraction, first lady michelle obama and castro. cnn's dana bash joins me now. dana, you have inside information for the obama contain and what the goals are for these three days. >> first of all, they say they want to chrrystallize the visio. when you look at the economy between barack obama and mitt romney. and they're also going to talk about building a middleclass from the middle out, not from the top down. a very different vision. >> we have heard that phrase a lot. >> i think the word we're going to hear over and over again is middle, middle, middle. middle class. they're going to focus heavily on the middleclass. the other thing they're going to talk about is something they feel they don't get enough credit for, the things the president has done right, auto bailout and health care reform. the last thing they're going to do is move forward for a second term. >> big speeches tonight, michelle obama and the san antonio mayor. >> he is fascinating. he is 37 years old. he will be the first hispanic american to give a key note address as a democrat. it's going to be similar, akin to president obama's not even senator obama's 2004 key note address. i think that's a little danger. >> he's setting the bar pretty high. >> apparently he has a pretty soaring speech when it comes to his own personal story but also when it comes to the contrast between barack obama. remember, they had to soften her image. today she's a political rock star. >> very interesting. that will be the big story tonight. one of the big stories this week i think is the weather, which has been fairly lousy. it's important because president obama is scheduled to give a speech thursday night outdoors. i want a quick forecast from rob marciano in atlanta. what is it going to be like here thursday night in charlotte? >> well, it's a tough call. in this unsettled weather party pattern for the next couple days. thursday could look much like today. that will carry over i think as you gets towards tomorrow and thursday. so 60% -- anywhere from 40% to 60% chance. thursday, into friday we start to reign the atmosphere. might be a bit of a break. it looks like the timing will be late thursday night, into friday. so about a 40% chance of seeing showers, some of which could have heavy rainfall with them. a moist almost tropical air mass the the next several days. so when it does rain it can come in fairly hard. at this point there's a pretty good chance of seeing some rain during the day on thursday. john? >> all right. rob marciano, thanks very much. 40% chance of rain. when it's rained, it's been really powerful. what are the democrats going to do about this? >> i'm told they will make a decision as early as today. # 0,000 plus people they had hoped or move it back into the convention hall where they had the first two days of events. look, it's something they really thought they did a good job of four years ago when they had the president out. they said they're hoping to he keep it in that same venue this time. but they also understand that it is not a great thing to have all these people. it is a security nightmare. >> this is very significant. this is the difference between an indoor speech and outdoor speech with 70,000 plus people where they signed up with a lot of volunteers where they were able to i.d. a lot of voters. >> and they're bringing in a lot of people in for this. they have to figure out what to do for those people. that's why they have to make the call early. >> dana bash, thanks very much. 5:30 eastern, maria cardona. right now let's send it back to zoraida in new york. >> thank you very much, john. it has been a week since hurricane isaac made landfall in southeast louisiana. only now are thousands of homeowners realizing the extent of all the damage. not in new orleans where the nulevees held but first west of the city in laplace where it took days for the water to recede. >> it would have been nice if they put levee protection as well as our areas. all they did was protect new orleans. they didn't protect the outerlying areas. so the water had nowhere to go. so it had to come this way. we have over 10,000 homes out here like this affected like this. a major disaster here. >> lots of people upset about that. president obama got to see the destruction firsthand when he toured st. john the baptist parish yesterday. he assured families who lost everything that help and answers are on the way. >> we are getting on the case very quickly about figuring out what exactly happened here, what can we do to make sure that it doesn't happen again and expediting some of the decisions that may need to be made. >> so about 125,000 people are still without power in louisiana this morning. and they are also facing very dangerous heat conditions. i was reading here from 100 to 105-degree range, possibly higher in some locations. a wildfire that erupted over the weekend in southern california, angeles national fire, is still growing. 500 firefighters are battling the flames. steep terrain, high heat and stiff winds are making it extremely difficult there. thousands of visitors were forced to evacuate the popular recreation area. authorities say the fire started at a campground. the cause, however, is still unknown at this hour >> well, he's unknown to most of the country, but that could change tonight. coming up, an up and close personal look at rising store julio castro as he prepares to deliver the speech of his life. the key note address at the democratic national convention. 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[ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. we've got a lot of empty cans. have led to an increase intands clinical depression. drug and alcohol abuse is up. and those dealing with grief don't have access to the professional help they need. when you see these issues, do you want to walk away or step up? with a degree in the field of counseling or psychology from capella university, you'll have the knowledge to make a difference in the lives of others. let's get started at capella.edu exclusive to the military, and commitment is not limited to one's military oath. the same set of values that drive our nation's military are the ones we used to build usaa bank. with our award winning apps that allow you to transfer funds, pay bills or manage your finances anywhere, anytime. so that wherever your duty takes you, usaa bank goes with you. visit us online to learn what makes our bank so different. look how cool. >> welcome back to "early start" live from the cnn grill in charlotte, north carolina. there's some awesome time lapse footage from outside this fantastic establishment. yeah, the 2012 democratic national convention kicks off officially here tonight just down the street from where that really awesome picture is taking place. then again not too many people heard of the key note speaker at the 2004 key note speaker and his name was barack obama. >> hey, everybody. i'm julian castro. >> it's pronounced ho-hee-ahn. the "j" is silent. don't worry, san antonio's mayor never master spanish either. >> i grew up with my mother and grandmother speaking spanish. i understand it. but speak it back is always the challenge. >> she immigrated from mexico. from those humble begins, julian and his twin brother went on to stanford university and harvard law school. now he's a rising star in the democratic party, tapped to give the keynote speech at the democratic convention. the same speech an unknown barack obama gave in 2004. >> you get talked about as someone who could be the first hispanic governor of texas, maybe even the first hispanic president of the united states. can you handle that kind of pressure? >> i would be lying if i said that's not flattering. it's flattering to everybody. but the biggest mistake i can make is to believe the press, to believe the hype. >> he was elected mayor in 2009 and re-elected with 82% of the vote. now he's 37, the youngest mayor of a top 50 city in the united states. he's also used to the baby face jokes. >> i think one of the funnier things that has happened to you when you first met president barack obama he jokingly asked if you were the intern. >> that's right. >> you being asked to do the speech is that making up for that jab. >> i don't know. i don't know. i always got the age jokes at different points in my career. >> is it still happening? >> every now and then. but i'm starting to get the gray hair from my 3-year-old daughter and from politics. >> this is the biggest speech of castro's career. latinos enjoyed prominent speaking roles at the republican convention and castro must convince latinos to stick with president barack obama. >> president obama has not been a friend of the latino community, some say. >> immigration, health care, education, any number of issues he has been a very effective advocate for the latino community. >> he's in the midst of pushing for a small sales tax to fund prekindergarten programs for low income children in san antonio. he enjoys a squeaky clean image except for the river walking parade scandal. he couldn't make it in time. castro's political opponent said the brothers were trying to fool the massive crowd. he laughs it off now. >> how can we be sure you're the brother giving the speech tonight. >> well, he says he's a lot better looking than i can. and the wedding ring. >> actually, his brother joaquin will introduce his twin at the convention. you will see the castro brothers standing side by side. ed lavandara, cnn, texas. >> his brother is a candidate for congress in san antonio, zoraida. they're clearly a very underachieving family, 37 years old, identical twins, setting this country by storm. >> when we were talking about the republican marco rubio, you mentioned castro was the up and coming star for the democrats. so you know a little bit about him, don't you? >> well, no, he is this mayor of san antonio, very young man, identical twin. he's been very popular in texas circles over the last few years. he's been in power since 2009. people talk about him being an up and comer in that state. but this is a very, very big stage for this guy. as you heard dana bash reporting earlier, they're setting this bar high for this speech. it will be rim tpheus epbt of barack obama's 2004 speech. >> thank you, john. it is 15 minutes past the hour. president obama promising help and answers to victims of the devastating flooding in southeast louisiana. thousands of people lost everything in places like laplace. and many are blaming the new federal levees that worked so well in nearby new orleans. they believe those levees forced the floodwaters into their neighborhood. president obama promised to check into the claims and concerns. veteran character actor michael clarke duncan is being remembered as a gentle giant. he died yesterday a month after suffering a heart attack. he's probably best known for his role as a death row inmate in "the green mile". that earned him a supporting actor nomination. michael clarke duncan was 54 years old. a cameraman in syria says he caught the moment a fighter jet dropped a bomb on a rebel stronghold. the syrian opposition saying air strikes yesterday destroyed an entire building, killing an entire family and others. in total, opposition groups say 248 people were killed in clashes yesterday alone. activists say august was the bloodiest month of the crackdown with 5,000 people killed. still, a syrian government official is calling on citizens who fled the country to come home, saying that they have no reason to fear. so should you buy organic? a just published study says it depends on what you're looking for. they found organic produce has no more vitamins and minerals but 30% less likely to have approximate pesticide residue contaminati contamination. it is about 5:17 in the morning now. we're getting an early read on the local news making national headlines. this morning we have the charlotte observer and chicago tribune. we will begin with the democratic national convention in charlotte. 1,000 officers on foot, horseback, and motorcycle are handling security here. but the observer says that's only the security you can see. always makes me nervous people are watching you and you don't know about it. they are making sure the event is safe, which is a good thing. >> hundreds of thousands of chicago public school kids return to the classroom today. they could go back on vacation pretty quickly though. the teachers union and school officials are returning to the negotiating table. they are trying to avoid a strike as early as next week. the two sides are at odds overpay, new teacher evaluation process, and recall policy for teachers who have been laid off. they are worried about school closures. teachers may go on strike as early as monday. this is an yon going battle in chicago there. when i read the chicago sun times, rahm emanuel is leaving the convention early to return to chicago. a look at all our top stories on cnn.com/earlystart. appealing to middleclass voters. what do middleclass voters say they need? 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[ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. mmm i can still see you. you see us, at the start of the day. on the company phone list that's a few names longer. you see us bank on busier highways. on once empty fields. everyday you see all the ways all of us at us bank are helping grow our economy. lending more so companies and communities can expand, grow stronger and get back to work. everyday you see all of us serving you, around the country, around the corner. us bank. welcome back to "early start". 22 minutes past the hour. we are minding your business. u.s. markets reopened today after the holiday. stock futures are higher right now ahead of a manufacturing report a little later this morning. christine romans is here. september is historically a bad month for stock. >> historically it is the worst month of the year for stocks. let me tell you there's an old saying on wall street. sell in may and go away. if you did that, you lost money. during the summer, up 7%. overall, more than 10% for the s&p 500. look at that. that's the s&p, almost 12% year to date. you can see there was that late spring dip. and then it had a pretty good summer overall. three big events will decide what happens for your stock portfolio. ecb meeting. a lot of talk about just how far officials will go to try to keep the euro together. also, august jobs report. that's friday. looking for 130,000 jobs created in the u.s. that's going to be a very important report for the health of your job obviously. and interest rate meeting on september 12th and 13th. so all of these things will kind of bake the cake for what's going to happen for stocks and the direction of your money for the month. it's interesting because hedge funds, the smart money, they have been moving into cash for some time. we have seen money moving into safer assets. we will see what it holds for the stock market. another very interesting approximate story about the middle class. pew has done an amazing survey about what it takes to be in the middleclass now. and 86% of people surveyed, 86% say a secure job to be in the middleclass. health insurance. the next biggest thing was health insurance and a job. that's what it takes, according to americans now, to be middleclass. let's flash back to 1991 and look what a different world we lived in not even a generation ago. home ownership was the number one thing to be considered part of the middle class. two or more cars. you would never hear someone say that now. a college education, stocks, bonds or other investments. a white collar job fifth on the list. that was also a recession, by the way. in 1991 people said home ownership and two or more cars is what it takes to be in middle class. today people just want a job. they just want a job. >> what we were talking about earlier, what is the magic dollar amount that makes you middleclass. i was reading as michelle obama will open up the dnc, she was talking about her middleclass roots. what is that dollar amount that makes you middleclass? is there one associated with it? >> median income is something like $55,000 when you think middle. middle would be right in the middle of the spread of income in this country. some economists peg it a little higher than that. maybe it's 75,000 to 100,000. but the interesting thing is in so many surveys most people -- some 85% consider themselves either working class or middleclass in this country. middleclass has become more about values than a dollar amount i think. and there are people who probably technically are no longer middle class who still consider themselves middleclass because of their values. >> good distinction. >> absolutely. middleclass is something -- the reason why politicians appeal to middleclass is because so many americans consider themselves middleclass. >> that's how you look at yourself, right? thank you very much, christine. we appreciate it. it is 26 minutes past the hour live in charlotte is john berman for the democratic national convention. >> the battle for the the middleclass, the key voting block. barack obama and the democrats unveil their party platform in just a short while here in charlotte. we will break it down for you. coming up live from the cnn grill. stay with us. thank you.m so glad you ca. we're not in london, are we? no. why? apparently my debit card is. what? i know. don't worry, we have cancelled your old card. great. thank you. in addition to us monitoring your accounts for unusual activity, you could also set up free account alerts. okay. 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cnn kron treubgtor maria cardona is here along with dana bash. maria, i want to start with the issue of enthusiasm here. i imagine the democrats want to address this issue here this week. if we look at the numbers versus four years ago, it's almost a mirror image. this time around the republicans have more enthusiasm than the democrats do. i don't think we have that poll. maybe not. take my word for it. take my word for it that democrats are more enthusiastic. how can they get their love back? >> first of all, john, i think this is something we expected even from the first day barack obama took office. it was going to be really challenging to repeat the kind of enthusiasm he had in 2008. but he went into this knowing that, especially given what he was facing when he came into office and all the hard choices and tough decisions he was going to make. this convention is going to help with that enthusiasm. >> how? >> well, he's going to be talking about what he's going to be doing for the next four years, the context under which he accepted the role of president four years ago. he's going to be talking about what he's going to be doing to continue on the path forward for the focus of middleclass families, which i'm sure you have heard over and over. >> let me read the preamble of the party platform. it says we democrats offer the opportunity to move our country forward by creating an economy built to last and built from the middle out. mitt romney and the republican party have a drastically different vision. built from the middle out. how does that juice the enthusiasm? >> in several ways, john. first of all, we know the keys for the democratic coalition are minorities, african-americans, latinos, women. tonight, who do we have speak something the very first latino keynote speaker, julian castro. that will create a tremendous amount of human in the latino community. it's a big difference, just between us girls. i'm trying to get a real answer here. in all seriousness, there is a lot of democratic disappointment with the president even in the latino community on immigration. he didn't do anything really on immigration reform. that's a big, big deal. and a lot of other things with regard to war, guantanamo bay. there are a lot of depressed democrats out there who are disappointed in him. >> there's no questioning that, dana. that is a huge challenge. anybody who says that's not true isn't facing reality. no question there is that challenge with latinos other folks part of the democratic base. what the president is going to be focusing on, the the alternative. what is the alternative? in terms of the latino voters what he did on the deferred action is a huge piece of what the promise is if he can get them to work on comprehensive immigration reform. as we know, there is disappointment. but the republicans need to be careful with one word. that word is context. voters in this election, we have seen this in focus groups, we have seen it in polling. to look at this election in context. understanding what the president was handed, understanding that he got zero help from the republicans. we heard a lot of talk about all the jobs they want to create. where were they in helping the president do that? he created 4.5 million jobs with no help from republicans. where were they on health insurance coverage for the millions of americans who didn't have it? he passed that on his own. >> it is, but a lot of americans like what they have seen so far. pre-existing conditions coverage, doughnut hole for seniors. so all of those things are things the democrats will be focusing on. >> do you ever daydream and wonder what it would be like if this were her convention? >> i don't go there. i think right now what we're focused on, and i see this every day for somebody that used to work for hillary. i love the role she has been playing. she is been one of the best secretaries of state this country has ever seen. her ratings are through the roof. and she has enjoyed herself. there's always 2016. we can dream about that. >> that's a date. >> there you go. >> so nice to have you, dana. thanks for joining us again. we have a lot more politics. president obama is still working his way to charlotte. virginia will be his last stop before arriving here. he will deliver a speech there this afternoon. he is expecting to keep hammering mitt romney's economic plan. yesterday in toledo the president used a few football metaphors to make his point. >> on first down he hikes taxes by nearly $2,000 on the average family with kids in order to pay for a massive tax cut for multimillionaires. that's on first down. sounds like unnecessary roughness to me. >> i told you it was more than a few football metaphors. he said the best thing to do with mitt romney's economic plan is to punt it. there you go. you won't be seeing mitt romney on the trail today because he begins several days of debate prep with healy. that is in vermont of all places. his running mate paul ryan will hold a rally outside cleveland and heads to iowa for his next campaign stop. across the state from charlotte at the democratic convention, ryan repeated his party's message that president obama cannot run on his record. >> the president can say a lot of things, and he will. but he can't tell you that you're better off. simply put, the jimmy carter years looked like the good old days compared to where we are right now. ryan said in a second owe bam a ma term he said that would take down the country, take down a path of debt, doubt, and decline. vice president joe biden had none of that. >> want to know whether we're better off? i've got a little bumper sticker for you. osama bin laden is dead and general motors is alive. osama bin laden is dead and general motors is alive. >> twice just for emphasis. the vice president clearly loves saying that. he is due to arrive here in charlotte this afternoon. mr. biden and president obama will address delegates thursday night when the convention moves to the bank of america stadium for its closing night weather permitting as dana bash reports they will make a decision on that. coming up next hour, more convention politics and a former bill clinton advise er richard socarides. the secret service and detroit police are looking for a person of interest in connection with the theft of vice president biden's u-haul. take a look at this. do you see that man in the green shirt and dark shorts? he was there a second ago. they're asking the public for help identifying him. the u-haul was stolen sunday morning. it has since been recovered. it contained portable metal detectors. about 125,000 people are still without power in louisiana one week after hurricane isaac made landfall. the president tour flood-damaged neighborhoods west of new orleans yesterday. residents there are very angry. they insist the new federal levees that protected too well redirected floodwaters into their communities instead. the president promised to check into those claims. and today is the day. despite warnings from the pentagon the book "no easy day" about the raid that killed osama bin laden will hit shelves today. it's already number one on amazon's best seller list, beating out "fifty shades of grey". the release date was moved up from 9/11. they said he violated an agreement not to divulge military secrets. prancer in the pool. a family in colorado finds a deer in their backyard taking a dip and struggling to get out of the water. the owner called 911 for help. police couldn't help either. firefighters showed up and built a ramp. it took coaxing. look at that. they finally lured the deer out but not before it caused $2500 in damage to the pool. coming up, one man's will to live. >> i really thought that i was going to die. >> a hiker trapped alone for days without food or water. find out what he did to survive. 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[ male announcer ] 80 delicious calories. fiber one. you are looking at live pictures of the convention hall in charlotte, north carolina. it is empty right now. tonight that place will be packed and hopping as a democratic national convention kicks off in charlotte. we are live here in the cnn grill this morning. we are talking politics. a week ago republicans used their convention to paint president obama's first four years as a disappointment. democrats expect to spend this week pushing back and use considerable leads among minorities and female voters to their advantage. we are joined by margaret hoover who worked in the bush administration and cnn contributor and former adviser the clinton administration, richard socarides. the numbers show that enthusiasm has flipped. four years ago it was all the democratic side. now it's all the republican side. >> substantially what you see as 22% decrease of enthusiasm on the democratic side. so i think the major challenge democrats have this week is not only to rally their enthusiasm but frankly to unify their party. you have a lot of frankly disenfranchised far left, the left wing of the democratic party. they are protesters orp they feel president obama hasn't been liberal enough. >> i think the amazing thing about what we're going to see today is a very unified democratic party, more unified than we have been the last four years. >> unified is not enthusiastic. >> i don't think people are as enthusiastic as they were four years ago. but i think they are as committed. i think they're committed to winning. i think the republican party has gone so far to the right that we're unified in our struggle against were a -- >> it doesn't matter a lick, though, if you don't show up in the voting booth. >> i think democrats want to win. we're unified by wanting to win. and i think the party is amazingly together. i think this notion that anybody is complaining about anything, i haven't seen a single complaint. there are a couple dozen protesters on sunday. the weather is not great. the people here in charlotte here on lovely. and i would say hotels are a little spread out. but we're having a good time. we're going to hear a great speech. mayor castro is amazing. he's young, hispanic. we'll see if he can deliver a speech. >> great point. julian castro will speak tonight, hispanic. michelle obama, a woman. they are catering to identity politics because this is really how democrats rally their base. you are unified and you're against romney. what are you for? >> for right. >> let me ask you this. ann romney spoke last night the first night of the republican convention. michelle obama speaks tonight. how are the rules different? >> as sitting first lady, michelle obama has probably the highest approval rating of anybody in the administration. >> i think her job last week was to introduce herself. i think she did a pretty good job. but everybody loves michelle obama. bill clinton and my you shell obama are the secret weapon. >> i can't disagree with that as a republican. republicans like michelle obama. she will do a great job for her party tonight. and ann romney will make a great first lady as well. >> you both have a unique point of view on a key part of the democratic platform which is support for same-sex marriage. we support the movement to secure equal treatment under law for same-sex couples. i want to put this to you. north carolina passed a law essentially banning same-sex marriage. it is not popular here. are you willing to give up the vote in north carolina for this part of the platform. >> i don't understand what you mean. >> is it worth it for the president to be supporting day marriage if it's going to cost him north carolina. >> it's not going to cost him north carolina or a single vote because i think the democrats are pretty unified around the issue of marriage equality. this will be adopted unanimously tonight. and, you know, we saw that the american party is all over the place. there are a lot of republicans, a lot of americans who support same-sex marriage. margaret is one of them, by the way. >> you may lose north carolina but not because of same-sex marriage. if you lose north carolina you're going to lose north carolina because manufacturing base, jobs are bad which might have something to do with an african-american vote or same-sex marriage. >> margaret and richard, more from this dynamic duo next hour. if you want to find out what it's like to be part of a democratic national convention, join wolf blitzer and the cnn political team today. submit your questions and get answers in a real-time virtual chat. do not miss it. noon eastern. cnn.com/roundtable. zoraida, i know you're doing it. i am. 48 minutes past the hour. president obama promising flood victims in louisiana help is on the way. yesterday he toured a devastated neighborhood in laplace, 30 miles west of new orleans. residents there believe the nulevees worked too well during hurricane isaac last week forcing floodwaters into their neighborhoods. the president promised to look into those claims. investigators say they believe a suspected sniper who terrorized snohomish county, washington state acted alone. he was shot and killed in a stand-off with sheriff's deputies. investigators are trying to find out why the unidentified 60-year-old fired on neighborhoods and armored vehicles. one officer was treated for a gunshot wound to the calf and later released. closing arguments are set today in the drew peterson murder trial. it's a case that almost never made it to court and nearly derailed three times by near mistrials as well. the former bolingbrook police sergeant is charged with killing his third week, kathleen savio, drowning her in a bathtub. it was treated as an accident at first until his fourth wife stacy vanished three years later. a strong message of cooperation and partnership to beijing. she will call on china in southeast asian countries to agree to a code of conduct in order to resolve their dispute in the south china sea. she is expected to address beijing's concerns over u.s. efforts to increase its presence in the pacific. a salt lake city hiker breaks his leg in several places after falling into a run-off tunnel. his cell phone dead. no one hears his screams for help or his banging against the tunnel's walls for four tkaeufplts that's when daniel samuelsson decided to take matters into his own hands. >> i found a piece of wood that i thought i could use as a splint and i tied it to my leg and decided that the only way that i was going to survive was to get myself out of there. >> wow. well, he crawled two hours before someone spotted him. doctors say his injuries are so bad his right leg may need to be amputated. but he is alive. next on "early start", calling for betty white to make their day. could a golden girl do better than clint eastwood in charlotte? 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[ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. welcome back to "early start", everyone. john berman along with zoraida sambolin. we're looking at what is trending on the internet. this is trending big time. i see you clint eastwood and raise you one betty white. online petition calling for betty white to speak at the democratic national convention. close to 5,500 people have signed it on change.org. the mystery guest gave a bad name to older americans everywhere with his, quote, absurd and awkward to watch skit. 90 years old, betty white is eight years older than eastwood and endorsed president obama back in may. >> i say betty white, always a good idea. so master and commander. have you seen this? >> it's crazy. >> yeah. actor russell crew who played a sea captain was less impressive while at the helm of a kayak, john. crowe and a friend had to be rescued during a kayaking trip in long island sound when it got dark and apparently they got lost. here's a photo. do you recognize him? >> not at all. >> 10 miles from where they set off, he tweeted his thanks for guiding the way. then joked saying we knew where exactly we were. we ran it of day. grand adventure. that doesn't look like him. i kept thinking no way is that him. but it is if you take a close look. >> i think that's still the headline. who cares about getting lost in the kayak. that's quite a picture. russell crowe, my goodness. >> i wonder if he's working on a movie and he needs to look like that. >> i don't know. we'll let that hang out there. we're just all thinking the same thing. just let it hang away. we're hours away from the start of the democratic national convention here in charlotte. who is at the podium tonight and what will they say? more live from charlotte coming up next. you are watching "early start". , impact wool exports from new zealand, textile production in spain, and the use of medical technology in the u.s.? at t. rowe price, we understand the connections of a complex, global economy. it's just one reason over 70% of our mutual funds beat their 10-year lipper average. t. rowe price. invest with confidence. request a prospectus or summary prospectus with investment information, risks, fees and expenses to read and consider carefully before investing. progresso. in what world do potatoes, bacon and cheese add up to 100 calories? your world. ♪ [ whispers ] real bacon... creamy cheese... 100 calories... 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>> the first challenge that democrats know they have to meet is making it clear to the american people that even if they don't like president obama, even if they are not satisfied that it is not about kicking him out. it's about bringing somebody else in. they want to crystallize the difference and choices between the two men and they have different philosophies, especially on the economy. then they want to talk over and over again on the middle class, right in the preamble of their platform, talking about building the middle class from the middle out not the top down. they want to highlight the accomplishments they feel have not been out there as much as they have been from their perspective, the auto bailout which did help gm and other car companies in michigan. and health care reform, which is controversy, they are going to push forward and give a lot more specifics than mitt romney did in his convention. >> michelle obama first up tonight along with julian castro. >> michelle obama, first and foremost it's obvious what the democrats want from her. they want to kind of seize on her popularity. more popular than the president. four years ago, not so much. she had a harsh reputation, they wanted to soften her image. now they want to show people what she's been doing over the past four years and she would also be in the white house too if they were reee leked and julian castro is fascinating, the first latino keynote speaker for the democrats, obviously a important part of the electora e electorate. and now they want to obviously keep the lead. they are going to have this very young, chair is mattic mayor of san antonio for the keynote address. >> one of things i'm obsessing about is the weather. which hasn't been good, serious thunderstorms at night. the reason it matters president obama is due to give his acceptance speech outdoors on thursday night. we want to get a forecast on what the weather may be. how do things look for thursday night in the. >> unsettle the as they've been for the last couple of days. thunderstorms pop up from time to time and they hit with vengeance for sure. charlotte showing a couple of showers around the city. there's more moisture down to the south and this will again be hanging around this quadrant of the country for the next several days and then be instigated by this front. the timing of that is going to be problematic. we have to throw up a 40% chance of thunderstorms on thursday and there's a chance it comes through earlier and clears outs but right now three days out can't make a call on that. generally speaking, the weather for charlotte as problematic as it was for tampa. neither convention really enjoy chamber of commerce stuff. back to you. >> rob marciano is atlanta. 40% chance of rain which includes thunderstorms. what happens if it gets rained out and when do they have to make the decision? >> the problem for the democrats here is they have to make a decision very soon. i'm told that they might have to make it probably as soon as today pause of security and logistics and busing in tens of thousands of people will be expected to be at the stadium. and it is a logistical nightmare, they have earth wind and fire and mary j. blige in addition to the president's speech which they were hoping which would be four years ago without the columns. >> it's not earth, wind, fire and water, i suppose. >> no. >> i think it's pretty significant. a big decision. >> i agree. >> thank you, dana. let's take it back to zoraida in new york now. >> one week after hurricane isaac made landfall in southeast louisiana, thousands of homeowners are realizing the extent of the devastation there. not in new orleans but further west in laplace, where the anger level is rising as fast as the floodwaters are receding. >> it would be nice if they would have put levee protection around our area as well as new orleans. all they do was protect new orleans not the outer lying areas. so the water had nowhere to go. so it had to come this way. we have over 10,000 homes out here in laplace affected like this. this is a major disaster here. president obama got to see the destruction first hand when he toured st. john the baptist parish yesterday. he assured everyone who lost everything that answers are on the way. >> we are getting on the case very quickly about figuring out what exactly happened here what can we do to make sure it doesn't happen again. and expediting some of the decisions that may need to be made. >> about 125,000 people are still without power in louisiana this morning and temperatures are expected to be in the 90s. and hundreds of firefighters battling an out of controlled wildfire near los angeles. the fire in the angeles national forest started over the weekend. thousands of visitors were forced to evacuate. steep terrain and high heat and stiff winds have hampered all of the fire fighting efforts there. authorities say it started at a camp ground, although the cause is still unknown. live o from charlotte, john berman talks to jay thomas, what makes him worry about president obama's re-election chances? 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>> i'm from new orleans and i was there for the storm, which is one of the best storms i've ever been in. i've been on cnn three times in the last few months and it was always at a bar. you've been doing this bar thing. last night right where we're sitting the governor of montana, and dave barry, the great humorist, he was showing us how to kas trait a bull. >> but there was no bull here. >> and it was like a mind version of said event. >> i don't know if we figured anything out politically but it was a lot of fun and i called my son, i think maybe we ought to move to montana. this looks like a good time. the parties have been fun here. you see tampa was fun too. >> tampa was fun but maybe because that was we could go out at night and not get up at 2:00 in the morning. >> in all seriousness, you have been talking about enthusiasm in this election year for the democrats. you have said with president obama whom you support, the honeymoon is over. >> you get married and you're all excited and four years later you're married. and i was saying that someone said, well, are you doing better than you were four years ago? i'm not doing better than i was 18 years ago. so i don't know how he answers that exactly. i like him, i think because they say he's aloof and all, i don't know that you could have done more for these four years other than hold everything together. i'm hoping the next four years he'll really take off. if he can't, i don't know. i did find out the other day that the republicans presidents have expanded government spending in the 20th and 21st century every time they've been elected by much more than the democratic presidents. i didn't know that myself. >> spending seems to be a bipartisan activity. >> it does. what's funny is the republican hopefuls keep saying they are going to make jobs. i think if they get in, they'll spend a bunch of government money also. >> you say you like president obama and do say the honeymoon is over. how does he get that enthusiasm back for someone like you who is a supporter? >> i think if you are a person who is going to get social security and being helped by the government now, you had better be very careful if the republican guys gets in. austerity means we don't give you money. you saw it happen in greece or france. people go nuts. if they are going to do what they say they are going to do, this is a real choice for people. not that you have the government giving you entitlements all the time. i don't think the big guys need more money than they do now. don't the corporations have more cash than they ever had in the history of the united states? friends of mine say the parties are huge now, they book comedians and big corporate events, all of that has come back. but i do believe this is a real choice. and i think, i mean this, i believe that romney and paul, if they really do the stuff they want to do, a lot of my relatives are going to be coming to me for cash. >> your position is pretty clear. >> i don't want my relatives to come to me for cash. i want the government to help -- >> clint eastwood calls you and to be in next movie, yes or no? >> yes, i would also do mel gibson's next movie. >> you'll do any movie at this point? >> yes, i will. >> maybe this is an off the wall question. as an entertainer, these conventions are in large part theater. what do you think the president and democrats have to do to convince those independent voters? >> i think he should say what i just said and also if the core doesn't get out there and vote for him, he's going to lose the election. it's really tight. i think people are going maybe i'll try this other guy. that is what i don't feel from four years ago, oh, man this is exciting. what did they expect? he became the captain of the titanic while it was -- i think if the core -- forget the people in the middle -- if the people that are really crazedy about him four years ago don't vote, i think he'll lose the election. >> jay thomas, thanks for coming. >> i'm going to vote twice. >> it is 15 minutes past the hour. let's get you up to date with the top stories. president obama promising health and answers for victims of the devastating flooding in southeast louisiana. thousands of people lost everything in places like laplace and many are blaming the new federal levees that worked so well in nearby new orleans. they believe those levees force the floodwaters into their neighborhoods and president obama is promising to check into those claims. 125,000 people are still without power in louisiana. it is sweltering hot there. we have sad news from hollywood, actor michael clarke duncan has died. he appeared in dozens of films and television. he is best known for his breakout role as a death row inmate in "the green mile" earned him a supporting actor oscar nomination. the hulking star was a gentle giant. he was just 54 years old. a camera man in syria says he caught the moment a fighter jet dropped a bomb on a rebel strong hold. the syrian opposition saying air strikes yesterday destroyed an entire building and killing a family and others as well. 248 people were killed in clashes that was just yesterday. activists say august was the bloodiest month of the crackdown with 5,000 people killed. still, a syrian government official is calling on citizens who have fled the country to come home saying they have no reason to fear. should you buy organic? a just published study says it depends on what you are looking for. if found organic produce has no more vitamins and minerals but the lead researcher says organics are 30% less likely to have pesticide residue contamination and also found 33% higher risk of anti-buy i don't thinkic resistant bacteria in nonorganic pork and chicken, do your homework there. only to see the word delayed, few things could be more frustrating at the airport, right? christine romans is here to tell you which airports have a better chance of getting you to your destination. >> it is horrible. a couple of things can eat up a lot of time at the airport, but there may be clearer skies ahead. according to ail report from the transportation of statistics, u.s. airlines are on track to have their best year for on time arrivals. let me say that again. best year for on time arrivaarr. a late arrival is considered getting to the gate 15 minutes after your scheduled time. salt lake city ranked number one. almost 90% of its flights arriving on time. charlotte, north carolina, minneapolis, st. paul, number two and three. if you're flying into chicago, as both of us often do, choose midway, ranked number sixth on the list, o'hare was 24th. two new york city airports did not farewell, jfk at number 16, laguardia ranked number 26. newark, newark had the worst on time rating with almost 71% of their flights arriving on time. san francisco and houston also at the bottom of the list. >> it's nice to know. thank you very much. what if you don't use those top three airports, right? >> you can't go to chicago via salt lake. >> therein lies the problem. next on "early start," what's weighing on middle class minds as democrating get ready to make their case for four more years. the capital one cash rewards card gives you a 50% annual bonus. and everyone likes 50% more [ russian accent ] rubles. eh, eheh, eh, eh. 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[ italian accent ] 50% more dough! questions. when you're caring for a loved one with alzheimer's, not a day goes by that you don't have them. questions about treatment where to go for extra help, how to live better with the disease. so many questions, where do you start? alzheimers.gov. the answers start here. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] you've been years in the making. and there are many years ahead. join the millions of members who've chosen an aarp medicare supplement insurance plan insured by unitedhealthcare insurance company. go long. have more fiber than other leading brands. they're the better way to enjoy your fiber. welcome back, we are minding your business this morning. u.s. markets reopen today right after the holiday. stock futures are higher right now. christine romans is here talking markets. september is historically a bad month. >> you get back from the summer and have a lot of things to deal with and we do this year. there's the old addage, sell in may and go away because the summer can be slow and not great. but it was a great summer. stocks are up almost 12% for the s&p 500 so far this year. you can see in may looked like stocks weren't doing great but up all summer. here's what we have to contend with, three big summer events on the calendar. there's an ecb meeting and that will be very important for what happens in europe and europe's debt crisis. there's a jobs report in this country on friday. we're expecting 130,000 jobs created and the jobless rate to stay at 8.3% and the fed will meet on ipt rates september 12th and 13th. a lot going on here. a lot going on big macro economic things going on. the fed, europe and jobs in this country that will probably be directing the way stocks go. i want to talk about the middle class too. the discussion on the campaign trail and discussion around kitchen tables is all about the middle class. pugh did an interesting survey, what it takes to be considered middle class. 86% said a secure job. 66% said health insurance, only 45%, less than half, said requirement for middle class today is owning a home. i want to flash back to 1991, also the beginning of a recession in 1991. it wasn't exactly -- homeownership, 70% said homeownership is what you needed, two or more cars, 48%. a white collar job down 33%. how different has less than a generation been in this country where in 1991 you assumed you were going to graduate from college and get a job or if you had strong voluntary indicational skills you would get a job. most need i need a job. >> for me i wonder who are the people who define themselves as middle class. >> the middle class is getting smaller and has less money. you can see the census information. if you look at the median income in the family, it's around $55,000 for a family of four. that would be technically the middle. but i think a lot of people would say it's difficult in the middle to put a kid through college and pay all of your bills and feel secure. that's been a real problem. >> the interesting point you made earlier, a lot of people define themselves and feel they are part of the middle class. >> that's right. >> we're asking, do you feel you're part of the middle class, how do you define it? go to cnn.com/earlystart and participate in this poll we're taking. the one thing you need to know about your money, 118 days until the fiscal cliff, when huge spending cuts and tax increases ougautomatically go i effect. it will mean smaller paychecks and up to 2 million jobs lost. the cbo says the fiscal cliff will cause a recession in the first half of next year. what are your elected officials saying about this? crickets. time is running out. big deal happening next year. once we get through election, maybe they'll try to fix it. >> can we end on a positive note? >> i want to positively encourage congress and both parties to fix the fiscal cliff. >> get it together. thank you very much. >> it is 26 minutes past the hour. let's go to john berman live in charlotte for the democratic national convention. do you hear crickets? >> we hear them all the way down here. you were also talking about the middle class and the middle class is such a key part of the democratic party platform. ? just a moment, we'll talk to a key member of the party platform committee represent tiative bara lee. we're live from the cnn grill at the democratic national convention. stay with us. cake donettes rolling hot dogs bag of ice anti-freeze wash and dry diesel self-serve fix a flat jumper cables 5% cashback signup for 5% cashback at gas stations through september. it pays to discover. day one of the democratic national convention. first lady michelle obama set to take the prime time spotlight. >> it's number one with the bullet, your chance to get the book that the pentagon probably does not want you to read. welcome back to qu"early start, i'm zoraida sambolin in new york. >> i'm john berman live at the cnn grill here in charlotte where tonight the democratic national convention kicks off with a speech from first lady michelle obama and julian castro, who becomes the first latino ever to deliver a keynote address at a convention. the party will also unveil the 2012 platform which has been making headlines as the first major party plank ever to formally support same-sex marria marriage. i'm joined by someone who is a key part of writing that platform, barbara lee. she is here with us now. the platform in addition to same-sex marriage talks about the middle class. we've been talking about in all morning. let me read you the preamble, we offer the opportunity to move the country forward by creating an economy built to last and built from the middle out. mitt romney and the republican party have a drastically different vision. how have things been for the middle class the last four years? >> let me just say, in we remember the last four years and what took place prior to the last four years, this country was really on the brink unfortunately of a depression. the foreclosure crisis was looming, somewhat stabilized, we had so many people losing jobs. there was a net job loss. and the last four years while we have a lot more work to do, the economy is beginning to turn around, the private sector is creating many, many jobs. and of course, as i said, we have much work to do but the last four years, can you imagine what would have happened had we gone into a depression. >> it still would have been tough on the middle class, yes? >> no one has been saying it hasn't been tough. it's been tough on those inspiring to be middle class. we can't forget there are many people working to become part of the middle class. the tax cuts to the millionaires and billionaires and two wars off budget, all of the economic policies of the previous administration kicked in unfortunately. and thank god president obama stopped the bleeding and saved the country from going into a depression. >> the republicans say president obama boosted spending by a huge amount also. i do want to talk about another key part of the platform, which is the first explicit support in a party platform in same-sex marriage. we support marriage equality and support the movement to secure equal treatment under law for same sex couples. how much discussion or debate was there about putting this in? >> there's been discussion and debate over the years in terms of marriage equality. but our party is a inclusive party and we believe in equal justice for everyone. members of the drafting committee got it right away. thank god congressman barney frank was a member of drafting committee. we move forward and put it in as a historic part of our platform and i'm very proud of the democratic party for doing this. >> here in north carolina, they just voted on a constitutional ban on gay marriage. 61-39%. north carolina is a swing state. this could hurt you here, couldn't it? >> well, i think that the voters will really determine that once the election takes place. but let me tell you, i believe when people really realize that this is the right thing to do, this is equal justice under the law, that this has nothing to do with any religious issue that there is a separation of church and state and that our constitution requires equal justice, i think people will begin to become more educated about it and really be fair and know that you know, a person's personal life and person can determine who to love and that that's okay. >> if it does -- >> if it's about family values. if it does cost you north carolina, is it worth it? >> it's not going to cost. i don't believe because i believe that people really will see that the economy is turning around and it's important to reelect president obama because he's made major investments already in infrastructure. when you look at the recovery act, it saved hundreds and thousands -- millions actually of jobs. when you look at what has taken place in terms of the economy, that's what is going to be about. i think will want to continue to move forward to continue to turn our economy around. >> this is a historic platform. thank you so much for joining us. >> good to be with you, john. >> president obama says ez hopeful republicans and democrats will figure out a way to work together after the november elections. today the president will campaign in norfolk state in virginia and is expected to keep bashing mitt romney's economic plan. listen to what he told jessica yellin in the cnn special "obama revealed quts. >> my hope is getting past this election, people women have an opportunity to maybe step back and say, you know what, the differences that divide us aren't as important as the common bonds we have as americans. some of that i'm sure will require additional effort on my part. hopefully we'll see more effort on the other side as well. >> as for mitt romney, you will not be seeing him on the campaign trail today. he begins several days of debate prep at the home of heelly. his running mate, paul ryan hosts a rally outside cleveland. then he'll head to iowa for his next campaign stop. in just a few minutes, we're going to talk convention politics with margaret hoover who served in the bush administration and former clinton adviser, richard socarides. >> one man's will to live coming up. >> i really thought that i was going to die. >> a hiker trapped alone for days without food, no water, find out what he did in order to survive. 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[ announcer ] beneful. play. it's good for you. good morning, new orleans, it is 80 degrees right now. later 91 and isolated storms i'm sorry to say. it is 40 minutes past the hour and we'll get you up to date with the top stories, president obama promising flood victims in louisiana that help is indeed on the way. yesterday he toured a devastated neighborhood in laplace, 30 miles west of new orleans. residents there believe the new levees in new orleans worked too well during hurricane isaac lasts week forcing floodwaters right into their communities. the president promised to look into those claims for them. a salt lake city hiker is talking about his ordeal after falling into a drainage tunnel and breaking his leg. his cell phone was dead as well. no one heard his screams for help for four days. that's what daniel samuelsen decided to take matters in his own hands. >> i found a piece of wood that i thought i could use as a splint and i tied it to my leg and decided that the only way i was going to survive was to get myself out of there. >> he crawled for two hours before someone spotted him. doctors say samuelsen's injuries are so bad that his right leg may need to be amputated. despite warnings from a pentagon, the book "no easy day" will hit the shelves today. it's already number one on amazon's best seller list beating out "fifty shades of grey." the release date was moved up from 9/11. the pentagon has threatsened legal action against the author whose pen name is mark owen saying he vi violated an agreement on top secrets. >> a lot going on here at the cnn grill. soledad o'brien is here to look at what's coming up on "starting point." >> at the top of the hour we'll continue the day here at the cnn grill, oscar winning actor and musician jeff bridges will join us. he kicked off the party in downtown charlotte but he's here for a serious issue about kids and hunger. we'll talk about that this morning. as you have been discussing, michelle obama is ready to set the tone for the entire convention with the opening speech. the big speech tonight we'll preview what she's going to say. ted strickland is also getting ready for his big moment on the convention floor. sources tell us that his strategy is going to be a tough one blasting the gop. we'll chat with him about that. lots of other big political names stopping by the cnn grill this morning as well. north carolina governor bev perdue will join us and debbie wasser man schultz. all of that and more. >> jeff bridges, star man, my favorite jeff bridges film. >> live from the cnn grill in charlotte, we'll be setting the stage for tonight ae's speakers. stay with us. s anything. i had pain in my abdomen... it just wouldn't go away. i was spotting, but i had already gone through menopause. these symptoms may be nothing... but they could be early warning signs of a gynecologic cancer, such as cervical, ovarian, or uterine cancer. feeling bloated for no reason. that's what i remember. seeing my doctor probably saved my life. warning signs are not the same for everyone. if you think something's wrong... see your doctor. ask about gynecologic cancer. and get the inside knowledge. mid grade dark roast forest fresh full tank brain freeze cake donettes rolling hot dogs g of ice anti-freeze wash and dry diesel self-serve fix a flat jumper cables 5% cashback signup for 5% cashback at gas stations through september. it pays to discover. charlotte, north carolina, the site of the democratic national convention where it's 72 degrees. later it will be 82, feeling like 182 with scattered thunderstorms which are serious because it may mean that by thursday night they may have to move president obama's speech indoors. we want to talk more about what to expect from the convention tonight. i'm joined by two political all-stars once again joining me republican strategist margaret hoover and former senior adviser to bill clinton, richard socarides, by popular demand we're going to talk about north carolina the state we're in right now. this is a state that barack obama won four years ago, narrowly, first time a democrat had won since 1976 and things do not look so hot for him. the most recent poll from the charlotte observer showed mitt romney leading by four points. is this still winnable for the president? >> this is trending red, trending towards romney. it was a perfect storm that caused president obama to get it last time. it looks like those events may not conspire in his favorite, 9.6 unemployment in the state. the governor of the state has one of the highest unpopularity, unfavorable ratings. >> but doing a great job. >> 30% approval rating, lowest of all governors. >> we picked this -- the democrats picked north carolina because they hope that coming here to hold our convention would remind people why they voted for president obama -- >> aren't you wishing you had gone for richmond. >> we're going to have a great convention and north carolina is going to go blue. >> do you wish you were in cleveland? >> no, we're very happy here. those are lovely cities, we're going to visit them all but we love it in charlotte. >> virginia and ohio are genuine toss-ups and you have a real -- >> ohio and virginia are not toss-ups, all blue. all blue. >> we have a difference of opinions on colors here. let's talk about the platform. we didn't quite talk about it as much as we would like last time. this is the first time a platform has advocatcy for same-sex marriage. richard, how bill of a deal is this? >> i think it's a huge deal. it's a very important historic marker. president obama earlier this year coming out personally for same-sex marriage was also important. it is a first time a platform has come out for full equality for gay and lesbian americans. the democrats led the civil rights movement. they are doing it again now. >> margaret, does this put republicans in a bind? >> the majority of democrats are in favor of this, it wasn't controversial. the majority of republicans are not in favor of this. does it put them in a bind with independent voters? a majority of them are in favor of freedom to marry. does it it put the republicans in a bind going forward geographically, yeah, i think so, so there are forces in the republican party working a lot behind the scenes in order to try to modernize the party and bring the party up to speed on the issue. >> the republican party is going to get modern some day. they look modern. >> diverse group of people speaking at the convention. >> they are look modern but they are not modern. >> you look at me and say this. >> you are modern. >> let me ask you, let's look forward to tomorrow. today is a big deal and tomorrow an even bigger deal, tomorrow big clinton will take the stage. your former boss. >> yes. >> what can he do for this party? >> and what can he do that might undermine the president? >> you have great -- >> president clinton has given amazing convention speeches. i think he will give another one, another really important amazing speech wednesday night. i think he can make the case for democrats and for this president better than anybody. he is the most popular -- one of the most popular people in american politics, most popular leader in government today. and i think he will make the case brilliantly for democrats. >> you, margaret think there are risks. >> is there not a philosophical difference between bill clinton and barack obama. he believed the government should help individuals but sort of stay out of the way whereas barack obama is the contrast is as a big government liberal, are they fill sofically cut from the same cloth or can and will they help each other or maybe undermine him in creating his own legacy. >> i think fill sofically and ideologually they are very close and i think the country needs a lot more government intervention now than they did when bill clinton was president. he served during a time of amazing prosperity, now the country needs government to help it get back on its economic feet. >> you're coming out in favor of big government? >> no, but the democrats believe the government has a role to play in putting people to work and getting the economy moving. that he at the core of the debate. the republicans believe that the free market system alone, if you give money to wealthy people, everybody will get rich. the democrats do not believe that. >> there's a word you know well, try angulation, that's because he was elected several times in the southern statement, the same people had to vote for bill clinton so he knew how to make a case for him is that would appeal broadly it seems president obama maybe from an urban background. >> you can finish this among yourselves. we have to move on. it's been a blast having you here. margar hoover, former bush administration appointee ee and richard socarides, former clinton appointee. you can join the roundtable with wolf blitzer and the political team today. you submit your questions and get answers in real time. it's a live virtual chat today at noon eastern. you do it by logging into cnn.com/roundtable. zoraida, back to you in new york. it is 53 minutes past the hour. best advice coming up. today we hear from democratic congressman elijah cummings of maryland. humans -- even when we cross our t's and dot our i's, we still run into problems. namely, other humans. which is why, at liberty mutual insurance, auto policies come with new car replacement and accident forgiveness if you qualify. see what else comes standard at libertymutual.com. liberty mutual insurance. responsibility. what's your policy? [ male announcer ] how could switchgrass in argentina, change engineering in dubai, aluminum production in south africa, and the aerospace industry in the u.s.? at t. rowe price, we understand the connections of a complex, global economy. it's just one reason over 70% of our mutual funds beat their 10-year lipper average. t. rowe price. invest with confidence. request a prospectus or summary prospectus with investment information, risks, fees and expenses to read and consider carefully before investing. i'm an expert on softball. and tea parties. i'll have more awkward conversations than i'm equipped for because i'm raising two girls on my own. i'll worry about the economy more than a few times before they're grown. but it's for them, so i've found a way. who matters most to you says the most about you. massmutual is owned by our policyholders so they matter most to us. massmutual. we'll help you get there. the economy needs manufacturing. machines, tools, people making stuff. companies have to invest in making things. infrastructure, construction, production. we need it now more than ever. chevron's putting more than $8 billion dollars back in the u.s. economy this year. in pipes, cement, steel, jobs, energy. we need to get the wheels turning. i'm p. making real things... for real. ...that make a real difference. ♪ 56 minutes past the hour. and we wrap it up as always with best advice. >> you can take it or leave it with when you go to work. this is from elijah cummings. >> over the course of my lifetime, i learned the up and downs quite often some of the most difficult come from painful events. but those painful events often lead us to our passion and to our purpose. so when chips are down and problems all around, we need to pause and ask this question, why is this happening for me as opposed as why is this happening to me? i guarantee you when you look back you'll realize that it all worked together for good. >> your reaction is -- >> i'm writing it down, why is this happening for me as opposed to to me. we need to be able to step back and take a look and see what we can take from the moment and learn. when we're in the middle of a storm how do we do that? >> learning from mistakes, it's sort of a similar along similar vain in that something bad is happening and you need something good out of this. he's obviously very eloquent but that was pretty eloquent best advice i'll say. >> it's wisdom, right, live and learn, the longer you live, the more you can impart. i'm going to put that up on my facebook today. for all of our best advice, go to cnn.com/earlystart. it is the end of "early start," thank you for being with us and "starting point" with soledad o'brien starts right now. good morning, how michelle obama plans to make the case that her husband deserve a second term. the first latino to snag the coveted spot tonight. that same role launched barack obama into the national spotlight. is castro next? >> no easy day, that's the name of the controversial memoir of a navy s.e.a.l. who helped kill osama bin laden. it's already number one. lots to talk about this morning among our guests, bev perdue and democratic national committee cha woman debbie

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