welcome everyone.. five minutes to airtime... the blog camera is up and im doing some last minute re-writes... we have a breaking news story about air safety that raises some really troubling questions.. let me know what you think.

hey look, i have a little photo next to my posts.

Anderson, the photos are a nice touch. Between the webcam and the tv appearances, are you making sure we won't forget what you look like?

"hey look, i have a little photo next to my posts."
lol Anderson ...
hi everyone

Like the photo addition wish I could get one too lol

Anderson and Erica... have a great show

Hi Anderson!

Can't wait for the show to start!

I like the little photo next to your name Anderson.

hiii Anderson can't wait for the show...I think it's a very cute pic

Your photo is funny...because it's smaller than a thumbnail..ha.

Seriously though, does this mean you are going to start asking the live chat participants to post their photo next to their name?

hahaha a photo. i'm jealous

hey webcam is blurry

Mr. Cooper,

I like the picture next to your posts because we can see whether the posts are from you lol!

Hey Anderson nice pic

cute photo Anderson, you guys are getting more technical each and every day

Hi Anderson (and your "Mini-Me" iconpic)

I first "found" 360 in its 7pm time slot.
I "migrated" with you to 10pm.
Next, I kept up with your (almost) daily 360 blogposts.
Then stayed up for the live blog thread.
Now there's a webcam to watch.

Oy.

Thanks for broadening my mind, keeping my interest, and ruining my sleep.

Oh, the photo is cool, your posts were always so easy to miss before. Does Erica get one too? The camera is neat.

the photo idea is just... clever...

Hi Anderson,

That airline safety story is disturbing. Is the FAA under the impression that they protect us by merely protecting the airlines?

Great job to these whistleblowers.

All these airline issues make me more concerned about flying. I always though flying was safer but the more these stories come up in makes me wonder at times.

That's the funniest thing! love the pic... can we have one too???
I needed a study break... college can be a pain. I'm looking forward to get home and watch the show.

CNN is going all out for the blog, red font and a little picture. Very nice.

Looking good AC!! It would be nice to have the webcam on the same page as the blog as I have switch back and forth, just a suggestion.
Have a great show!

Anderson, Nice photo and I like the red print.

We flew on Southwest two days after your first breaking story. Needless to say, it was the first time I actually had second thoughts about flying.

This is just another story to scare me away from flying. If I don't have to go far I'd rather drive or take Amtrak (if they are still running).

FAA and Southwest are both to blame. They are not the only airlines that put money before safety. Money, Money..

I posted earlier..I hope this story informs us about the most recent flight cancellations. We Americans, lazy fat cats we are, just rely on some unnamed procedure in the sky to do things that they embellish. Clearly they do not follow procedures as closely as they claim.

My fear is, what does this say about the rest of the industry? Are we safe from terrorists? When I worked in the restaurant business...if the bathrooms are dirty and unkempt, you know the kitchen is 10 times worse. If these planes are not maintained properly, what else is falling apart in the industry?

Looking forward to the show...

Nice avatar AC, makes it easier to recognize your posts. :]

Cool photo Anderson. I can say it's a cool photo can't I?

the airplane map is always so cool to look at

It dosen't sound like flying is the safest way to travel.

That map showing all of the planes flying now is way cool!!

scary thought how dependent we are on flying...

what is going on with these planes? it's scary to fly now.

Thank God for "whistleblowers"!

i'm so glad you are keeping airlines honest....im going to maui on my honeymoon in aug....thanks AC360!!

Flying always makes me a little uneasy and these new revelations about the lack of inspection with the airlines is only adding to my anxiety about it, but it's important that we are aware of these serious concerns.

joeann from sydney

just check your web cam pretty cool. give me other reason not too work.

joeann

sydney austaila

As interested as I am in US news, flights, and the election, etc, I was wondering why CNN seems to rarely comment on news in Latin and South America. I was leading a service trip in Panama over spring break and was shocked to hear how much unrest there was at the time between Colombia and Ecuador. I hadn't heard anything about their political troubles, as the US has been so obsessed with our own political "unrest". Is this a topic you would ever consider approaching in more detail?

whistleblowers always get screwed...

With these problems on the airlines I'll be driving almost everywhere or I'll take the train...

Hate to hear anything bad about airlines–especially United.
AC wow a picture and webcam–what will they think of next?

It's very scary about the safety concerns lately. At least they're taking a look at it.

The breaking news re: airline safety is very disturbing!! My wife and i are flying to Mexico on 5/3.... definately scares the heck out of me!!!! Never really liked to fly this just adds to my dislike for it. Glad your breaking this news out. Hopefully this problem will be fixed by 5/3!!!

It just keeps coming doesn't it. I mean, whats next?

no matter what is going on in the airline industry, you are much safer in the air then you are on the road. I flew last week and I felt completely safe. Hopefully this is the wakeup call the FAA needed to get these airlines to really get things together

4 years?! this it's not like they can just land anywhere at anytime there like 33000 ft in the air!

Anderson, with your career I would assume you fly more than anyone, are you worried? Are other airlines besides the ones mentioned safe?

Anderson, CNN has been touting the numbers of this poll all day. Please "keep it honest" and relate all of the information in this poll about how the candidates measure up in the other states listed. Given this story is about PA numbers, but, I think to tell the whole story, we need to be looking at the electability of the candidates too.

Makes you think twice before wanting to board a plane. I like the picture next to your post. Nice touch.

aren't all the airplanes really old in the first place? They seem so over used.. maybe it's time to invest in some new ones... I'm flying at the end of this month... yikes!

I remember having to get off of a plane because they discovered a crack in the windshield. This was about 10 years ago. I was a bit alarmed that they only discovered this when we boarded the plane. At the time I thought "so does that mean the windshield would've busted in midair if it wasn't discovered?" I can't remember the airline – either United or American.

Love the little picture. Glad I fly JetBlue.. hope they keep their acts together. Drew's stories tonight are really disturbing. It's like we are gambling on every flight we take.

I haven't trusted the airlines for a long time. When Pres. Reagan fired all the air traffic controllers back in the 80s, I became very suspicious of flight safety standards.

I'll fly if I have to fly, but if at all possible, I take ground transportation.

Hi, everyone

they better buy some newer greener planes!!

Hey Anderson!

Can you hook Erica up with a pic too. Nice!

this doesn't entirely surprise me–I used to work as a customer service agent for Northwest Airlines, and we would write emails/letters to customers who suffered from occasionally crazy flights on behalf of FAA from scripted responses. It was rare to contact FAA directly.

Hi Erica! Great picture.

Erica Has a pic TOO!!!! Yea

Anderson, I find this extremely curious. I travel for a living as an electrical technician . My job takes me to many companies who make parts for turbine engines for planes. These companies are required by regulations to have their machines certified before they can be put into production. If they make any changes to these machines , they must be certified again. My concern is that they are careful with new parts but fail to oversee that the existing parts are up to spec. . At the same time I think we have to ask our selves, if planes start falling out of the sky due to neglect of the airlines, what do they have to gain. I would hope the fact our lives are in their hands would have more weight into their decisions to maintain the planes.

hey, erica's got a pic too!

I'm flying Southwest for the first time in 2 weeks and although the story concerns me about airline safety, it's still safer that driving (and far quicker).

OOOO Erica has a pretty picture too woot

As someone whom enjoys traveling – this breaking news will make me rethink with whom i will fly with. It's disturbing that the FAA is not doing their job to monitor the airlines industry.

I agree that flying is a mess. Do you think that having more private flights and less commercial flights would make a difference? After all, there are close to 5000 private airports and only about 500 commercial airports... Would having more private flights make flying safer?

Andrew, I hear you on the age of some planes... every now and then I get one that gives me pause.

Wow Anderson and Erica have cool pictures. Very impressive blog team!

Hey...Erica got a cute little picture too. Very nice...Hi Erica

Ohh, love the new pics...well erica's.

hey anderson, are you coming to university of miami to speak?

we need better ground transportation in this country. Why isn't the government funding a fast rail across the U.S... or something like it? It's all over Europe..

Hi Erica,
Nice picture. We'll be able to find your posts easier.

Anderson, I think Erica wins the photo icon contest.

I can't believe they knew of problems for 4 years! This is very scary. I can't believe this story hasn't come to light before now. It makes you wonder about other forms of transportation and if they are unsafe. Obvisously, you can not take the company's or the government's word for it. Trains, cruise ships, etc.

I wonder what else there is that we do not know about? Drew always does such thorough reporting.

Anderson- Thanks for promoting parental control. You never know who kids will come in contact with on the internet.
-Your Yale Buddy

Loving the picture next to your name, Anderson!

I'm scared of flying as it is after 9/11 and now this is just ridiculous! I was considering taking a United Airways flight to Vienna for when I leave for my study abroad session in August (its one of the cheaper ones I found..)– but now I'm going to look into other airlines, like Swiss Air. Even though its more expensive– safety always comes first! Especially on a 9 hour flight!

Gosh, I'm a white knuckle flyer to begin with. Good question Brian-Hope AC answers it

Kids, ask your parents before blogging. seriously.

I like your littlie pic Anderson .What happened to Erica 's picture

Like everyone else who has posted, I find the news about airline safety pretty disturbing. I don't fly that much, but it's starting to make me wonder just how safe the planes are the next time I do.

hey Erica!

Anderson,
You want feedback on the airline safety piece currently being reported: it scares me but I'm not surprised. I personally haven't flown since 9/11 (my brother was in flight in NY at the same time the planes were hitting the WTC & it was about 90 nerve racking minutes of phone calls to confirm he was ok. He hasn't flown either). I have just been getting my nerve to fly again, I kind of miss it but I understand it's not so much fun anymore with long waits and cancellations.
With all the cutbacks going on in the airline due to many problems plauging the industry coupled with rapidly rising fuel costs it would not and does not surprise me that airlines are making cutbacks in maintainance and safety.

Anderson this "Flight Risk" story is scaring the heck out of me!
I usually fly 2 of these airlines. Why can't people act a little more responsible when it comes to public safety?

haha the photo is so cool!

Hey Erica, great picture! Now we can spot your comments tout de suite!

@ Joseph, that is a good point. Aren't all these controllers supposed to be retiring all at the same time and that is going to bring on another crisis?

@ Erica: Do you have a number of photos of yourself to pick from depending on your mood? Kind of like a mood ring?

Nice to Michelle Obama back on the stumping trail. I think she is so awesome

Flying is risky enough, Southwest and the FAA should really take the time and money necessary to look over airplanes and keep travelers safe.

Anderson's pic blends too much into the grey, oops, I mean silver background

why arent we working on a fast rail system for the U.S.? Forget flying.. ha.. Europe is full of rails, it seems to be working for them.

I was on a domestic flight about a year and a half ago where my flight was delayed due to an issue with the plane. Apparently the problem was fixed and we ended up boarding the plane. About halfway through the flight I woke up to smoke in the cabin due to an engine being on fire. We were told to brace for an emergency landing and instructed on evacuation prodedures. We landed safely at the airport but we never got an explanation or anything from the airline. Before this incident, I loved flying but now I get a little nervous.

Anderson,
What a scary story about the airline industry!
Hey, your webcam is really cool? Who came up with that idea?

And to Anderson Cooper's point, it is a mess at the airports. As someone who has to fly every week, I can't imagine how much worse the grounding of so many planes will do to travel.

Haha, Ms.Obama spitting some rhymes Dr.Seuss style...

Hi Anderson & Eric – Nice pictures! Hello Bloggers!

Once again, another story where MONEY trumps everything! Including safety. This isn't a shocker!

smart people at cnn... putting pics and red font. Easier to find AND harder to impersonate. excellent!

Anderson,

I have been though a plane crash ordeal (eye-witness), which has erased my fear. I don't fly that frequently, but I don't fear flying either, even if the pilot is drunk. THere are so many ways to die.

The whole webcam suggestion was to have people who only have access to a computer and not a TV to get to see some images. Nowadays, everyone sits with their laptop in either Starbucks or in the park and other places etc.

SOme background MUZAK would be nice!

So...Obama has milked cows and visited chocolate stores...what does that have to do with how he will run our country? Just an honest question...

Does Barack get the educated, white male vote? Or does that not matter? Is it all about the working class white male?

obama's fed a baby cow, gone to a chocolate factory, and gone bowling. sounds like every kid's dream! i wanna run for president... c'mon hillary, look at all this experience he has!

Just notice Erica's pic thank you

CNN has actively sought to destroy Hillary Clinton's chances. One only needs to count the number of times they have aired positive stories about her versus those of her opponent. CNN has crossed the journalism line and no longer makes any effort to give the impression of being unbiased. This should be of concern not only to Clinton supporters but also to Obama supporters. We are bogging on any news agency and television websites calling for all Clinton supporters to look for other sources of news and boycott CNN.

Disturbing and scary.... maybe it's time we give up airplanes and try some different way of traveling, trains have always seemed pretty fun.

I put little faith in polls because they change so quickly and it depends on who is taking the poll. They are merely a snapshot in time.

Hey everyone, AC nice seeing your picture.
Airline story is very distressing, we can't drive, gas price is off the roof.

Geez Anderson~I am surprised that your poll shows Obama closing the gap in pennsylvania. Every other poll shows Hillary gaining. What poll is this anyway? Cnn does not endorse Obama?

Anderson,
Can you provide some clarification. I sometimes see you reading the telepromter during the breaks. What 's up with that?
I find this behind the scene thing fascinating.

So I wanda who is watching the FAA. They should have been grounding these planes a long time ago. I know that Continetal Airlines also has these problems but they have not been grounded. What is going to take? I believe it will take a bad accident to get FAA on the ball. What do you think?

Paul

So jobs are an issue in Hillary's campaign..just something I heard.

Good point Andrew

The studio is very nice. I like the pan across the room. Interesting.

flying is never easy ! something onething you had no control of . hope that get too next stop stafe. with your bags

Hey Anderson,

Cute picture by your post! Love your live blogging post-it notes.

Let's face it, both Hilary and Barack are saying the same thing! The only difference is one is a woman and the other is a man!

ok this air line stuff is well scary....im about to fly myself for a mission trip in like a week and a half......any tips to calm my nerves????

Great show and love the webca,... also, Erica is a great addition to your show. Love her wit and adorable smile. Thanks.

Should the amount of money raised by a candidate be the deciding factor to elect a candidate? Shouldn't the number of people who vote for someone matter, and not the money raised?

I think I just heard Michelle Obama say "he's raised more money".

Is this a boast. The money Obama raises is used for commercials, and if its commercials that are getting him elected, rather than the issues and the way he will solve them, there is something wrong here.

Southwest was the very airline I flew this past holiday season. I vowed never to fly them again because they treated us like cattle. How can you maintain planes when you are dropping off passengers and loading new passengers on in 20 minutes? Turn and burn = crash and burn!

Anderson, sometimes meeting the air worthiness criteria can be daunting for an airline. These aging air craft are expected to operate eight hours per day. I assure you that the maintenance on these aircraft are several times that of a simple automobile.

No matter how much time the media spent on the Black vote, the women's vote and the Hispanic vote, I always felt it would boil down to the White male vote, especially the blue collar workers, and that is just how it is turning out.

Andrew's hit on an important point. Why doesn't the U.S. develop a rapid rail system like Europe has?

Our present rail system is also in bad shape and needs lots of work.

Here we go again... More companies in this country that deferring maintenance that puts people at risk. I haven't travelled in a number of years because it's kind of scary to travel to foreign lands these days because everyone seems to hate us... Thanks to Bush. Now, we have to worry about weather we will make it to our destination alive.

That Barack incident with the camera man looks interesting.

Hey Anderson and Erica! Love the photos. That is sweet! And now we can see when you guys post easier. At this time of night that really helps! LOL.

This plane thing freaks me out. And right when I want to go to Paris. Yikes! Maybe I will wait a bit.

it always makes me hesitant to get on plane that looks like it was built by Henry Ford. daunting to say the least. Makes one want to count rivets. LOL

It's alot easier to find Anderson and Erica's posts now thanks to the pics and red font! Thanks guys!

The reason I stopped flying 8 years ago was my total discomfort with the belief that airlines actually scheduled and performed the proper maintenance on their fleet. The average American forgoes performing maintenance on their vehicles so you have to believe in an environment where profits a placed above everything else, the airlines do as little maintenance as possible. Nobody's watching. They're playing the odds everyday on one day their clients are going to lose.

Why would the FAA ground the Southwest planes but not American planes??

Does anyone care about anything else besides pictures & web cams.
The airline story was fine, but right away we go in to Obama land. Gee what a surprise, I could not in good faith vote for him if he ran alone.

Do you have any real news anymore? Or just feel good stories and political stories?

Hmm...handsome devil in that photo up there;P

Listen, I gotta say, hearing about this aircraft story is a bigger scare than well what's the only other scare in the air ? hmm maybe terrorism?! I wasn't afraid to fly a month after 9/11 and continued to fly back and forth from the southeast to NY back then, now...I'm terrified after hearing this breaking story to fly anywhere! You would think that maintaining the plane would be top priority and on a constant level.

I don't think polls are going to be anymore accurate in PA than any other state. We will have to wait until election night to really say what voters voted the way the polls predicted.

Hi AC. Cute photo! I'm glad I'm not flying anytime soon.

Anderson,
nice to see you always.
What is this thing about Obama offering Gore a job? Gore is above him...... is Obama using again his judgment?
I think this would be more insulting to Gore.....
And the Airlines, how disturbing. Where is this world going?
There are people – like you, like Al GOre and others who do care about well being of this world, and then there are those who think about themselves only, or they do not think at all...
going to tv to see you at 360, also I like Erica alot.
thanks

The Clintons have been semi-campaigning in Pennsylvania for some time now. Obama has only been campaigning for a few weeks and he has already nearly cut her lead in half.

Hi from Ontario, Canada Anderson & Eric, You two make a great team!! Love the webcam.

That guy shouldn't have been able to get so close to Obama. What an annoying loser!

I liked Joe Klein's idea about calling in Al Gore if things get messy. Obama could be VP

Renee, no mood pix, sadly... but since we're ALWAYS in a great mood at 360, we dont need 'em!

I know a few have you have noticed the delay on the webcam - it can be as long as 30 seconds sometimes. It's just the time it takes for the images to be encoded and sent out to your desktops.

nice little stunt that camera man pulled. Don't u just love ignorant people!!?? Just drives me nuts!

Okay, I love the show, l love the webcam, I love the blog, I really like the pictures and red ink added, but its really getting hard for me to solve the sudoku at the same time with all this going on!

Cool! Erica's got a pic too!

Flying weekly is part of my job, so everything concerning air safety concerns me as well.
Flying has become such a hassle over the last few years, it ain't fun anymore and I wish more would be done to increase customer satisfaction and makes us frequent flyers feeling more safe.

Why dont Obama's stories ever die. We've been listening to the same clips of Obama for a month about the pastor now we have spent a week having to listen about his bowling score, its not that interesting.

Sorry, Hi Erica!!

Polls are polls. Until it's time for Pennsylvania to vote we really won't know anything.

theres Erica....you hide nicely behind those cameras ;P

Hey guys,

One question that I have.....

What are the general thoughts of the troops fighting overseas.....are they for McCain and want the war to continue or are they for Obama and want to come home to their families. Have they had a vote during all this? How does that work?

May be a little off topic but gotta post when you get the chance!

Livia,

"What is this thing about Obama offering Gore a job? Gore is above him…… is Obama using again his judgment?
I think this would be more insulting to Gore….."

I believe that Obama was responding to a question.

It's always interesting to listen to commentary about the election. I wonder how much influence at this stage of the campaign, reports of polling has on this Pennsylvania primary. I would imagine it has some, but can it move numbers enough to change the outcome of the election?

David Gergen knows it well, he puts the real info on the table and I love watching his segments, they are the truth.

Obama's numbers against McCain tell a story. Those numbers will be worse when MI and FL vote against the DNC and Clinton supporters defect.

Anderson,
Why do you keep referring to "the Clintons"? Only Hillary is actually running for President?

Anderson. I think this mess shows the incompetence of the FAA. These airlines better fix the problems now or avoid possible financial troubles.

If anything, Hillary Clinton isn't more electable. Her presence on the Democratic side is going to bring out the Republican vote in droves.

David Gergen is the best! He needs to blog as well.

Megan – I didn't see Erica yet. I do see the teleprompter though.

I was wondering about the screen on the desk as well, is that the teleprompter that Anderson is looking at?

Love David Gergen! He's right, both campaigns have become more positive.

Candy's not surprised at low life politics? Thank God Gergen has a higher standard. The Clinton's are pit bulls!

Once again I too enjoy David Gergen's comments! He knows his stuff!

I think the Clinton's are going to hold on tight. They are not ready to give up all their connections and have less significance in the Democratic party. It's a new era and they aren't facing the reality of the situation. Unfortunately, their behavior comes off as desperate and low class to me.

I am sorry – I think that Gore would be honored to be able to serve his country in this area so important to him. And I think that he HAS SUCH GREAT respect for Obama – he would be honored.

In response to David Gergen's remarks, I don't think Obama is guilt-free here either. I don't like how Hillary is painted out to be the negative nominee, when Obama's campaign definitely hasn't been flawless. Why do we criticize someone for trying to get what they want? I have more faith in Hillary when it comes to going head to head with Republicans.

@comfortablynumb – I agree. The Gerg is the voice of reason in a world of political insanity. He is one of my all time favs on 360.

GO OBAMA!!!

Speaking of all that spending on ads he's running to beat Hill in PA. Better go and donate some funds! Michelle Obama is awesome!

Anderson, if Hillary's best argument to the super delegates is that she is more electable, does that meant the polls which show the exact opposite with respect to a General Election against McCain are inaccurate? What leg is she really standing on?

this webcam thing has made me realize that we all have a little bit of a stocker inside of us ... interesting

Did Anderson really ask why "the Clintons" are losing ground in PA? Last I checked, Hilary Clinton's name was on the ballot – not Hillary and her husband. I don't hear Anderson talking about "the Obamas" when referring to the Obama campaign.

I am so sick of hearing about Flordia. They knew what would happen if they moved their primary. Let them live with thier decision.

Well Anderson I made it 21 minutes. Let's try balance insted of a Obama info-ad. It's sad when I think about this Popaganda!!!!! Off to another channel YOU LOSE!!!!

Jimmy

David Gergen has such great insight! Will he blog here too?

Hey Anderson nice picture – FL and Michigan needs to be counted- with out the two states neither Obama nor Clinton can say they won the Popular or delegate vote. Even though Obama looks like a great candidate do the American people really know what he stands for? A question I think needs more scrutiny. What did Obama mean when he said I don’t want them to be ‘Punished with a baby” when de was talking about our children. Can you do some research on that? I believe a baby is a blessing.

Recession is possible??!! Seems like were currently in a recession now!! Don't u all think!!??

Some airplanes which have had an enormous amount of mileage on them are sold as second hand vehicles to countries who don't own airplane factories. A little crack in the aluminum skin or the tiniest bolt not fasted properly is fatal.

I like Hillary, and most I know are voting for her. She is tenacious, persistent, and she won't give up. I like this in a person, much less their race or gender. My feeling is that the thing most against her is that she is a Clinton, and people do not want royal families in America, ie,, Bush – Clinton – Bush – Clinton. They want a new name and new face.

Anderson,

It was nice to have a great discussion by Candy and David. No yelling or trying to talk over each other.

Less than half of the superdelegates have come forward with a nod to either candidate. Wonder why that is? I'd like to think it's because they are above the spin and waiting for the race to come full circle.

HAHAHAAH ERICA!!!! good one!!!!!! your are hilarious! ur a good sport anderson.

Question? How can Hillary be more electable when she can't even beat Obama? Hummmmm

Gergen does say it as it is – I wish there were more experts that could just say the truth and not have to be so partisan.

Aww! That Chihuahua is so adorable. Its coat makes it look like a mini Siberian Husky.

Oh my gosh!! That is just hilarious. The tennis player just beating the daylights out of himself!! Very funny. Think i woke up my wife laughing.

Maybe Obama is looking for an endorsment from Gore to stick it to the Clintons... and what better way to do it?

Someone needs to ask these candidates what they're going to do about our infrastructure.... Bridges, rail, airplanes, roads... the list goes on and one.

How much of the budget goes towards these projects? Nearly nothing.. I bet..

No matter what you report on Obama, I just do not trust him. There are too many unanswered questions about his past, judgement etc. However the press continues to glorify him....why!!
Go Hillary!

Oh, my god! How extreme the tennis player is!

Another Woody Austin moment. (He is a pro golfer who hit himself over the head with his putter, something that I've been tempted to do occasionally).

Perhaps the tennis player just realized he could have had a V8.

Tennis has become such a violent sport...

Darts, LOL!!! very true very true

Wow! Why on earth would that tennis player smack himself in the face like that> Maybe someone needs some anger management therapy? Guess that is better than hitting the other guy.

LOL – Anderson! Good thing he was not playing darts. Ha ha ha! Good one! That could have been ugly – but on the other hand, maybe dude would have gotten the point! Bwah ha ha ha! be dum dum!

Concerning the tightening poll numbers here in PA for the democratic primary, I really think this is going to be a lot closer contest than most people may believe. I live in a relatively conservative area but have noticed many of my neighbors posting yard signs in support of Barack Obama in the past several weeks. Barack's town hall meetings ran out of 2,000 tickets each in a matter of several hours; they had intended to have tickets available this past Saturday and Sunday and tickets were gone a few hours after becoming available on Saturday. I don't think this is a simple matter of a jog in poll numbers; Barack is making a very concerted effort here in the state to get his message out to everyone with particular emphasis on the working class. I was fortunate enough to participate in the Quinnipiac poll two evenings ago as the university called my home and I participated in the survey. I have never been so excited to participate in the political process in my entire life and I feel that the citizens of Pennsylvania are finally going to have a real opportunity to have our voices heard in the upcoming primary.

Do you know Obama talks posiitve on the campaign trail but his compaign sphoksman throw the dirt on Senator Clinton today.

Tennis player could use some anger management sessions.

To Andrew....I believe that both Senator Obama and Senator Clinton have said that the money we have wasted on Iraq could have been better used for things like infrastructure.

Can't wait to vote on April 22nd. Clinton is the best candidate for the job.

I was so dedicated to Aaron Brown, but you have won me over. Keep up the good, solid journalism.

Anderson, thanks for keeping them honest. I have a son that travels frequently and I always worried causing sleepless nights. After seeing your report I don't think I'll get any sleep. How do you deal with it, not like I can keep him away from what he likes and his family abroard. Great show. Robin

Seriously- what is going on with the Clinton Campaign.
More and more everday it seems like Bill is just gone off the deep end! The things he says, and he's trying to help Hillary? Clinton Camp needs to get off the "Obama isn't electable" They need to ignore it maybe some, hard arguement to make when he leads the nation in the popular vote. where did Eric run off to? Whats the delay on this stream?>

Boy, November can't get here soon enough for me......this is nerve racking.

Why don't they put Clinton and Obama in a room and not let them out until the figure what to do with Fla. and Mi.

Poor Barack will have to whine and cry as FL and MI are seated. He will lose out on a lot of votes in FL, while I do believe that MI should probably go 50-50. I hate to say that, especially since Hillary would have probably won there.

That's what they should do split the delegates in half.

If the State with the Liberty Bell, and the City of Brotherly love comes through for Obama, that would be a big step for America. Right now the difference between Clinton and Obama has come down to truth, promise and preference. Their policies are basically the same. But the truth is important in that if a person tells the truth on a regular basis, they are more likely to keep their promise to fulfill their policies. So we are left with preference.

That wild man Howard Dean. . .I still remember his freaky, overly excited speach in Iowa . . .still have nightmares about it....yikes!

clinton and obama will not agree on this new deal to count florida, I live here and this is a backward state when it comes to voting.

yeah, we're fixing another countries infrastructure right now.. sad, but true.

I hope the FAA maintains safer flights. I fear for the frequent flyers that fly frequently because of their careers or their pleasure trips.
Our very own AC is a frequent flyer. Wake up FAA! I also want to feel safe in the skies. Why such a complacent attitude. Power politics? Get down to basics.
The FAA needs to feel the verve to bring about change in order to ensure safety to the passengers as well as the crew. Empowered people are depended on.
Anderson, I always pray that you have safe flights and feel safe on your journeys.

Obama is over 100 delegates ahead. He might as well be magnanimous and allow the Florida delegates to be seated. Clinton would only gain 38 delegates on him.

It is interesting that Dean is getting more invovled since being criticized to his "stand-back" approach. I think that is the best way to handle FL. A split of the delegates will be the best solution to the problem as there was no campaigning in the state and Clinton is only pushing for FL since she needs it desperately.

Kathy, a very interesting suggestion... somehow I dont think the DNC will bite, but I like it!

Airline safety since 9/11 has been compromised by several factors. The most damaging to airline safety has been airline exec's who have taken the money and have left the airlines bankrupt. This shift in management has left a void, previously held by experienced maintenance decision makers, open to inexperienced new guys at the helm. The bottom line since 9/11 is to get maintenance done as cheep as possible. Do you realize that US Airways has a large portion of its aircraft maintenance performed in Costa Rica and has even tried their hand in allowing China to overhaul their engines. Executive greed and the public’s demand for a $60 flight have driven safety concerns to standby coach class. In years past, the FAA could trust the airlines who’s safety was driven by the airlines own maintenance programs. Now, inexperienced management and low cost labor is catching up with the industry.

Ok for real, I thought the whole FL thing was figured out, why are they being seated, why can't they figure out a solution to this so we can stop hearing about it. They broke the rules, they should not be seated, but if they must be then figure it out. Seriously Anderson, lock this up.

I don't think your guests are on the same page with the 50/50 split of delegates.

I worked at refueling planes here in upstate, ny. You should see the planes that come in with no fuel guages working. the piliots would ask us how much fuel they had in their wings and center tank. They would have to adjust the weight according to the densitity of the fuel. 3 months down the road the same planes came in with the same fuel guages broke! Wonder why I don't fly anymore... Thanks Bill-Syracuse, NY

If they don't seat those delegates in Michigan and Florida McCain will win them in November. If you are going to split the delegates 50/50 it is the same as not seating them at all. What is the point?

How can cutting the delegate count in half be right? How does this give the people of Florida a vote in electing the Democratic candidate for Prez?

All it does is skew the numbers away from what the people want. Its the same as not giving them a voice! If this is all that is being done to get the number of votes to get a candidate then forget it.

Of course its what Obama wants – he lost. It is not fair, and does not reflect what the voters wanted. If its 50/50 then its as if there was no vote at all.

Congresswoman Schulz is a wonderful spokesperson for Florida – and a Hillary supporter! I credit Senator Clinton for pushing the issue of seating the delegates.

A 50/50 split is NOT fair! Hillary won Florida and would win again.

As tiresome as this election seems to get sometimes, it's educating America about the process and, hopefully, will lead to some serious campaign reform.

Love the "Hi Mom" sign from the camera man. Too funny! The Blog Cam is fascinating.

Record turn out because of a tax proposal was on the ballot in Florida and Obama wasnt on the ticket in Michigan

a 50/50 split is an insult to the intelligence of the democrats of FL & MI.

So who's running the live web cam? Steering that is

hi everyone nices pics erica and anderson

Anderson,

They can not negotiate FL delegate in the media. 50/50 no go. Rep. Miss Debbie Wsserman says all the delegates agree on this

Can't wait till November. McCain is not going to win. Go Obama.

My guess is both sides will never come to a compromise. Obama wants to maintain his lead so he'll probably never agree to anything that might jeopardize that.

That's the problem a 50/50 split isn't good enough. I won't be disenfranchised I voted for Obama. Clinton wants in. We know our votes wouldn't count. We voted on a higher house tax exempt.

Didn't the republician party set the democratic date? Maybe they should be given a break if that is the case.

Go Clinton!! The money wasted on Iraq could go to protecting and regulating our borders..the very thing our military was designed for.

But it is ridiculous to seat the Florida delegation as it is, candidates agreed not to campaign in Florida because it was in violation of DNC rules and therefore it is ridiculous to believe that the proportioning of delegates are the same as what they would have been had they been able to.

Again, if you have rules and want the posters to follow said rules, why are you posting the – "nice pic" "handsome devil" and "love the red ink" "are you going to speak in Miami" comments. They have NOTHING to do with the show content or context. If you can't follow your own rules why do you make rules for the commenters?

The delegates shouldn't be seated because of the simple fact that they violated rules that were set months before the election ever took place.

Senator Obama DOES need to say something about Florida. What is he afraid of? Have him on Anderson and ask him to comment.

You know it was bad enough having to go through the Florida thing eight years ago hanging chads and all. Then to have two govs decide they want change things. No we have this mess to go through. I hope for the next pres election all 50 states realize that rules are rules.

Florida! Florida! Florida!.... Both Hillary and Barack understood that the Florida delegates would not be seated if they changed the date of their primary.... My opinion is they should not be seated. Here we go again, Florida screwing up another election process.

Anderson,

Is there any way to have figured out the sperm doner's family history to see whether there was a history of autism? I mean, I fully believe genetics are a large part of this problem and could have easily been solved if the proper background checks were done...

I can not believe this rep. from FL has the nerve to come on tv and say that the voters need to be counted. She is part of the problem to begin with. If they didn't change the date of their election, they would have counted. Don't these people have mothers? I remember my mom, telling me I needed to follow the rules or suffer the consequences when I was a kid. These are adults! Great role models.

For FL, due to how much more important FL will be having an end vote do this: 50% pledge deligates get seated with NO super-d's and split the pledged to where Mrs. C get her % and Obama gets the rest. Simple and fair. This would help to account for those that simply didn't vote due to the "no status" vote,

Yes I agree with some posts here as well.Why refer to Mrs.Clinton as the Clintons when the same can not be said of Obamas.Does each segment need to be getting David Gergens " I really don't like the Clintons view",because it is rather clear his standpoint on his feelings that are never positive.Who is he to judge what Mrs.Clinton says privately .For him to judge her as a cold person is a personal view that he should not share for the sake of spreading negativity.
Is there ever a time when you state the Obamas when you refer to Obama and wife and is there ever a time for David Gergen to say anyting objective or negative regarding Obama.Of course not !
It would not steer straight with is anti Clinton agenda that meets the criteria of so much of the media in this election process.
Free pass once again for Obama.

Hillary may have won votes in Florida but many people did not vote because they were told that there vote would not count because of them moving the date up

Uhh...I've heard Obama say on several occasions that the FL and MI delegations should be seated...but in a fair manner. I don't know, maybe I hallucinated it....

The Florida delegates will be seated but the votes in Florida will not count in accordance with the rules the Florida DNC made knowing that they would not be seated but broke the rules any way. Millions in Florida do not feel disenfranchised, I live in FL and those of us who have no problem following the rules are not being represented fairley. All you hear about is ALL of FLORIDA feels disenfranchised, not true. We knew the votes would not count. The only reason many went to vote was because of Admendment 29 proposed to lower property taxes for all Floridians, they knew that would draw a large crowd. Unfortunately the state had no budget to fulfill the promise and they still don't. Millions did not vote period knowing their vote would not count and because they did not want the Admendment 29 to pass knowing the adverse affect it would have on our schools, teachers and loss of jobs in Florida. "Robbing Peter to Pay Paul"

These airline stories remind me of that old joke...

A pilot wrote up a deficiency report "Engine missing"

The mechanic wrote on the report "Found it. It was attached to the wing."

No matter what the outcome of the Fl/Mi debacle, it's obvious that there will be a lot of people not happy. Seems to me, at this point, it's not important how they are divided. Whoever is ahead after the rest of primaries will probably be the nominee and having Fl/Mi delegates won't put either one over the 'finish line'.

Hey Billy Burke

This is a really scary story because I believe that pilots are always doing calculations on the weight of the plane and the amount of fuel it is burning. They use complex charts and calcuations to determine the amount of fuel they need to make it to their destination. Apparently this really is important – and you say there are planes with broken fuel gauges. That's outrageous.

Its against the law for teachers to know about child abuse and not report it. Shouldn't there be a law for pilots to know about this stuff and ignore it or continue to fly when their planes are not in tip top shape?

I am glad that an autism piece is being done on 360. Today coverage for world autism day from CNN has been top notch

"I don’t like how Hillary is painted out to be the negative nominee, when Obama’s campaign definitely hasn’t been flawless. Why do we criticize someone for trying to get what they want? "

Oh lighten up, Twilight!

50/50 is the same as no count, it make the numbers insignificant.
Why should Hillary agree to this nonsense.
It is simply stupid to even tolerate this on prime newscast.
Shame of the people who think this up.

Sorry OBAMA mamma it wont work.

Anderson-
After taking his travels around the world and holding up pretty well, I don't think Senator McCain should be subject to such harsh speculation about his health.
-Your Yale Bud

i think they should just wait to seat the flordia delegates

April, Obama CHOSE not to be on the ballot in Michigan. He did is as a political move because he knew he wouldn't win. This way he can say he didn't lose because his name wasn't on the ballot. But he and John Edwards DID tell everyone who wanted to vote for him to vote uncommitted in the hopes the number would be higher. Hillary Clinton still won.

To April.....Obama withdrew his name from Michigan but Clinton was NOT the only name on the ballot. Even Dodd – Obama supporter- left his name on the ballot. So did a few others. Obama withdrew his name to be certain he did not jepoardize his standing in Iowa.

I'm African American, mixed heritage, very well educated, from Chicago. I support Clinton for many reasons, chiefly because I am confident in her ability to run the country. I don't support Obama because he only served one year in the US Senate before he abandoned that to run for president. An opinion on the war doesn't qualify you to be president. I was against the war and spoke out. but like Obama I wasn't in the Senate. On the Rev. Wright, replace the name Louis Farrakahn. Then tell me that this doesn't matter. Minister Farrakhan has done very positive things for the African American community he serves, but would you all consider his being Obama's spritiual advisor a none issue? Listen to some of the language from Rev. Wright. It's the same or very close to things the Minister Farrakhan has said in the past. I've never been to a Black church where that kind of hate was expressed, especially not by a pastor. This is not typical of Black churches!

What a brilliant little boy Dylan is!

I can't believe Michelle Obama said that Barack has won big states, let's see, the biggest states (population wise): California (53), Texas(32), New York(29), Florida (25)-sort of, Ohio(18), Michigan (15)-sort of, New Jersey(13). These are 7 of the top ten big states. PA (19) is #6 and has not voted yet. He did win Illonois (19)- surprise, surprise, he won his home state, and Georgia (13). Wow, 2 out of 10 big states. Clinton has won states that would make up 185 electoral college votes as compared with Barack's 32. With PA, Hillary would have 204 ecvs. Wow 204 v. 32. Or if Barack somehow oulls off a miracle in PA, 185 v. 51. There's a comparison. This is why we have superdelegates people. If this was the head-to-head in the fall general election, look at who would do better in the fall. Check my numbers if you do not believe me.

I am not sure I understand the why there is so much ignorance in this matter.
The ONLY fair way to handle the FL and MI Primaries is to establish a date for a complete do over now. Anything short of this is a "compromise" of the voter's rights.
What part of this is difficult to understand. I am an Obama supporter, but know that this decision should not be made for any other reason than to give all citizens of this country an equal opportunity to hear the candidates and to vote.

50/50 is fair.

People knew going into the polls that those delegates would not be seated due to the violation. As stated previously MI didn't even have Obama on the ticket. This should stand as an example for people to realize that they need to take an active part in their state's politics if they want their vote to stand for something. The voters should have spoken up when this was decided months ago.

Wouldn't you think that sperm banks would check these people out for everything and anything that they could pass on to a child? This is really unsettling.

To Dave:

a 50/50 slpit is just when the rules were broken.... letting FL and MI have the biggest impact on the election is not abiding by the rules and that brings about the morality of the process.

I don't think I trust the whole sperm donation thing.

someone asked about why i may be reading a teleprompter during commercial breaks.. im not exactly sure what you saw.. i may have been talking to someone behind the camera and not reading. occasionally during the breaks we fix mistakes that were made for later broadcasts.... i also tend to re-write scripts during the commercial breaks, so maybe sometimes the prompter is just scrolling or "fixing" itself once ive entered my changes in the computer. my computer is automatically synched with the teleprompters.. so any changes i make, and i make them all evening long, are immediately made in the prompter..

If you were an Obama fan in Florida....wouldn't you have voted????? The idea that voters didn't vote because they thought it woudn't count just doesn't make sense. Can't you Obama fans just admit that Hillary WON FLorida?????

That 5 year old memorized the subway system? I am an adult and even I sometimes still get lost in the NYC transit system!

What the heck are they doing with the 50/50 split, trying to end up in court again?? Truth is the Party can do what it wants. If it wants to exclude the two states it can.

My question is, why are they doing this again?

Autistic kids from the same sperm donor...very interesting. I have always believed it was genetically driven. Wow, and 2 different women! Amazing! What are the chances!

This blows inoculation as the culprit out of the water.

What is the purpose of setting DNC regulation when if states do whatever they want they are still seated? Anyone else confused....

David Gergens is an excellent Analyst and has on many occasions been positive about the Clintons. He was the one who told us that Ms. Clinton did not like NAFTA (behind the scenes) at the time when President was attempting to pass the bill. However, lately the Clinton whitehouse records clearly show that she fully supported NAFTA she should have had the courage to stand up for her belief. David is the absolute best.

I think that Michelle Obama is so great – did anyone hear her speech today. She is amazing – this country would be so fortunate to have someone of her caliber as First Lady.

Thank you Thank you Thank you CNN and of course everyone at AC360, and definately Larry King for your courage in presenting the topic of Austim and uncovering the mystery. We all need to realize there is much much more to it than just no eye contact and non-verbal. Now we also have resources.

I think that with these "designer babies" (where you can choose eggs or sperm based on personality characteristics and other things), comes unknowns as well. It's sad that these children are autistic but is this just an unfortunate byproduct of the entire process?

how could the bank screen for something when doctors don't even know what causes autism????

So if you are autistic you can't donate sperm? Is that the policy?

Honestly, In reaction to Randi Kaye's reporting on Autism:
No scientific study has proven this, but I think that Autism is genetically inherited.

Armod, my parents live in Florida and are furious about their votes not being counted. So while I'm sure some Florida voters don't care, many do.

Actually, Obama won more Texas delegates, so Clinton should stop counting Texas as one of her wins.

While I feel for women and families who use sperm doners, I would like to point out that people who have children the old fashioned way likely have no way to screen out what problems their natural children should have. Is it justifiable that because you use a sperm doner you you should only have a "perfect child"?

The entire mess with FL and MI and their delegates IS unfair. It's absolutely insane that we are looking for a "fair" way to seat them. What would have been fair is if the states had followed the rules in the first place! Having a total re-vote would be the closest thing to fair. The states that broke the rules should pick up the expense. They caused the problem!!

What kind of an example does this set to children with the importance of following the rules and having concequences when we don't? Or what does it say to the world about this country and our values? Don't follow the rules and we'll find a fair way to "fix" it later" That is what we're doing. How is it different for non violent or white collar criminals who break the law? Should they get a re-do or is it fair that they pay the price and go to jail?They knew they were breaking the law/rules of society. How is that different?

Actually Lisa (the one responding to April) all of the democratic candidates chose not to be on the MI ticket except for Clinton and Kucinich. They did this because the state was clearly violating DNC rules.

when miss hillary "steals" this election as bush did before they should just quit having elections.. what good are they if the popular vote doesnt count anymore. how can she be given anything even 50/50 when obama didnt campain and wasnt even on the ticket in Michigan.. with the news of how they are secretly meeting with super delegates and pressuring them and promising them who knows what. she has proven she and hubby will do anything to win .

I used to coach tennis for a group of autistic children and I think that was a wonderful way for them to work on their social skills (which tend to be stunted) and their coordination.

wow crazy!! An elephant w/ artisic talent?? Huh!! Hard to believe

Anyone else here think that superdelegates who announce their preferences prior to the convention ought to be in the same boat as states that hold primaries out of turn? They are obviously affecting the vote out of turn as much as those primary states.

aww, a self portrait, how cute!
that's some cool talent on the elephat's part

Lisa, the voters and the democratic party in Florida DID speak up. They pleaded with a republican party that was controlling the date of the primary. It had no effect. I say again, no vote should ever be taken away from an American who stands up to vote.

Hey Jonathan.. i dont think the report we did last night was "harsh speculation" at all. Its a sensitive subject, granted, but the health of a candidate is certainly something they have to address, and is certainly fair to report on. The fact that the campaigns release medical records show that they take the subject seriously and know people care about this. just my two cents.

Autism is very sad. I read the articles on CNN about Jenny McCarthys son. I found it very interesting. Especially about the vaccines, in the 80's it was around 10 vaccines and now it is 36...most before the age 2!

That's cool, Anderson. I didn't realize it was so easy to change what was in the telepromter. I guess it seemed like it would be a hard thing to do once it once on there. Thanks for the inside info, you learn something new every day.

Very interesting about autism and the father of the three boys. I read in one of my medical journals two years ago that a father's age may be one of the factors in autism (similar to how Down syndrome is related to the mother's age).... I guess it's still under investigation, but an interesting thought.

Here is how it will go. Everyone will continue to argue over the FL and MI delegates until the remaining primaries are concluded. Then, they may seat those delegates based on a compromise which won't allow whoever is behind to overcome the leader. The superdelegates will finally (in June) be forced to back one over the other. One will be happy and one will not.

they already said that there is not test for autism for sperm

I think that elephant's drawings are already better than my stick figures.

what a coincidence! i found the video of that elephant painting on youtube like an hour ago. i wasn't expecting it to be so incredible. the elephant is able to do exactly over his lines from before, even adds shadow on the legs. and the flower!! with leaves!! incredible.

Hate to say it, but, the current autism"scare" might make those who are getting sperm and eggs at the clinic think twice and go adopt a poor orphan.

regarding the elephant story coming up: i saw that earlier today and was amazed at how the elephant painted but then started to wonder "what do they do to the elephant to train it to paint like that"???That's a concern.

Thanks Anderson, I was wondering about the teleprompter.

I noticed NOW Howard Dean is rearing his ugly head "trying to help fix" the problem. He didn't have to make a big deal out of FL and MI dates being a little bit early. I can understand if it where to close to convention time or at the last minute, but a little early? Why can't there be some sort of revision or some liberty with the dates within reason? I don't understand all the fuss about the DATE being early within reason. They act like it was an imposition on the whole process. Dean only made it that way.

Thanks Erica! I think the candidates will dance around the Fla. and Mi. issue as long as they can. Obama and Clinton need to agree on something and stop wasting everyones time.

Thanks for the explanation Anderson. Fascinating sutff – that has to make you feel very powerful! I want to write on YOUR laptop! Linked to the prompter – how cool is that?

love the painting elephant. Elephants are extremely intelligent.
This isn't the 1st elephant with artistic talent, many of the zoo elephants paint. Many zoo great apes do so as well.

Brian Persaud: Quite a while back on this blog I said that I thought this race would get dirty and someone questioned me about it. Unfortunately, I was right. I have to agree with your comments about the negativity of the race, no one is without blame. No matter what they claim no one has taken the high ground; they can't afford to .

It just go to show you don't have to follow the rules. Everyone seems to be so afraid of the Clintons and when they say one thing and do another it's okay. Why did she agree to not seat the delegates and change her mind?? Seems to me she says one thing and when things don't go her way she say another thing. You want that for President again. that's what we have now.

Anderson, thanks for explaining that one! YOU write the stuff you say? I didn't know! I'm impressed...

I will definitely be watching Soledad's program tomorrow night about the late, great Martin Luther King Jr!

Additional question marks won't get your question answered any faster. If I knew my state's delegates wouldn't count, I wouldn't have taken the time to vote. Why? Because I'm busy. Symbolism gets you nowhere. The states broke the rules set by the DNC, and if they want their votes to count they need to re-vote or caucus.

Thats the kind of news I'm talkin' bout...a little animal art

A 50/50 split says we don't get to vote. Some politicos, who are the ones the party should be punishing, get to go to the convention, but the voters of Florida don't get heard. That accomplishes nothing and will not satisfy voters.

Soledad has such good stories, why does she only get like 90 seconds on the screen? I wish she had a nightly segment on the show, she has a great face for the news of the people.

I think all of this coverage (and all the coverage I have been seeing on CNN) is going to blow the doors off austim. And it is going to just expand what it is. The "spectrum" is so huge no one even really knows, and unfortunately only a few of the entire spectrum are focused on. You are really doing a great job in "unlocking the mystery"
You have no idea how thankful I am.

Something that a lot of people seem to have forgotten is the fact that in the general election, it will be democrat vs a republican. People are saying oh, well, hillary did better in large states, which means obama won't be able to carry them in the general election. That's ridiculous. People who supported hillary in the primary aren't going to support john mccain just because hillary didn't win. Hillary winning the larger states in the primaries has no bearing on whether or not the democratic nominee would be able to win these states in the general election.

I think the whole process of primaries and caucuses don't work. Especially caucuses. How can Hillary Clinton win Texas by 100,000 votes and lose the caucus. This just goes to show that caucuses don't accurately reflect the will of the people. Since Obama has won most of the caucus states, I believe his support is overinflated, if Texas is an example of how skewed the results can be.

I also think primaries with proportional delegates don't mimmick a general election. If you take all the primaries and caucues and make them winner takes all, just like in the general election, Hillary Clinton is way ahead.

Anderson

Congratulations on your award.

Dave- they give the elephant a paint brush after doing a demonstration. Don't be concerned. It is enrichment.

Count the votes! This is an argument that would support that we really are a republic rather than a democracy. This is the second election someone has messed with the votes, it should be obvious.

I'd just like to thank you all at 360 for your excellent coverage of autism. I am fascinated by the disorder and hope to work with children with autism in the future, and I am constantly surprised at how little people understand about it. I hope that your presentation of real people with autism will help the public to understand and better accept those with the disorder.

If MLK Jr were alive today, he would be maligned & hated by the Republican Party. He would be fighting for many of the same issues the Democrats are. He'd be called a race baiter, hate mongerer, anti-white, and would be said to be "always whining about race."

I hope CDC can get on Autism, it seems a lot of kids seems to get Autism right after vaccination. Very costly disease too, here in MD one county offers help to parents with Autistic kids

Why are the abilities of elephants, in particular, getting so much press recently (referencing the youtube video on the soccer-playing elephant)? I feel like this is the sort of activity you usually hear about from gorillas. I suppose elephants deserve a little tv-time, too

Anderson,
I've been to a place in northern part of Thailand. They have elephants who play soccer and draw pretty impressive paintings in front of you....really!

Terri, My mom taught me to follow the rules also. However, the voters were not the ones not following the rules, it was their politicians. This is a national election and all citizens should be included. The biggest problem with these national elections is that they are allowed to be different in every state. This may make sense when the states are determining how their state operates. When it comes to a national issue, such as the presidency, there should be a more uniform format; a level playing field. Look at Texas, Hillary wins the primary vote and Obama wins the caucus.

I'm enjoying this web cam. Why is Erica always hiding? She should be sitting next to you Anderson!

hmmm...pretty amazing elephant...

Anderson (and Erica)

Love the show and I enjoy the whitty banter. Keep it up

The elephant is really a person with an elephant trunk as a prosthesis? Seriously, painting elephants are like fairy people, they just don't exist.

An elephant that paints? Yes he can...Yes he can. Good night all

I have a friend who went to Thailand and saw elephants playing soccer and paintin. She said it was amazing. You could buy the elephant's art. It was real.

I cannot wait till the eyewitness resport of the Assassination of Martin Luther King

Millions of us in Florida wish that those who do not live in Michigan and Florida would go online and read what really happened in Fl & MI it seems that the actual changes are not clearly understood by many. Having lived through this has been unsettling when other states complied with the rules, therefore no drama.

Great show. I really appreciate the coverage on autism that was carried out today on CNN. That opened eyes and hearts, and I learned a lot. Good show and another great night on the blog with everyone. Thanks again-

I agree with you EJ. Not absolutely positive he'd be Dem though.

Anderson,
Hi. I enjoyed the web cam tonight–it's much better than watching commercials.

Keep up the animal "shots". The elephant artist was amusing. Animals always seem to amaze me. I'm a believer!

Its an autistic elephant. Some autistic people also have incredible talents.

Night all......great Show as usual!

Top 20 electoral college states? Take out NC (13) and IN (9) who have not voted yet. Barack gets VA (11), MO (9), WA (9), MD (8), and MN (8). Clinton gets MA (10), TN (9), AR (9). Totals please, 213 for Clinton v. Obama's 86.

Top 25, you ask? Barack gets WI (8), AL (7), CO (7), and LA (7). KY (6) has not voted yet. Barack gains to 115 v. 213 for Clinton.

I could keep going, but it gets ugly: Barack ends up with 156 ecvs v. Clinton's 232. Not only that, but most of the states that Barack won were typical Red States with Open Primaries. Why wouldn't Repubs vote for the weakest Dem to win?

Thanks for a great show, keep us updated on the FAA and plane maintenance regulation!

Elephant Art? I don't buy it!

Do you guys just hunt through youtube for the strangest videos that you can find?

Heh, those elephants love you, Anderson.

Good show tonight. Goodnight, have a good one.

Great program! Good night Anderson and all!

great show tonight!