Morning Buzz
Morning Folks....Happy Monday!!! Iraq seems to be the place to be, today. Vice President Dick Cheney is there! Senator John McCain is too. McCain is trying to look "Presidential," while Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama continue to battle it out on the campaign trail. This week we mark the 5th Anniversary of the Iraq invasion, which I gotta believe is the reason for the visits...Hillary Clinton will deliver what her campaign calls a "major" speech on Iraq today, but from DC, not Iraq. SO I am sure we will hear from Obama on the topic in the next few days, too...
In Crime & Punishment...just a bizarre twist in the Charles Manson story. Grave sites were discovered on the Mansion compound...could there be more victims??? AND watch out for those bees...commuters in Sacramento had to when a honey truck tipped over and thousands of bees escaped... Soo grab your morning coffee and literally take a look at today's morning BUZZ....
Top Stories
Cheney in Iraq...
Vice President Dick Cheney arrived in Baghdad on Monday on an unannounced visit, the Iraqi prime minister's office said.
McCain in Iraq, too...
Senator John McCain arrived in Iraq on Sunday morning on a trip that was described as a visit by an official Congressional delegation, but that also served to showcase his foreign policy credentials as he campaigns for the White House.
Federal Reserve makes move to avert crisis...
The Federal Reserve took dramatic action on multiple fronts last night to avert a crisis of the global financial system, backing the acquisition of wounded investment firm Bear Stearns and increasing the flow of money to other banks squeezed for credit.
JP Morgan buys Bear Stearns for $2 dollars a share...
In a shocking deal reached on Sunday to save Bear Stearns, JPMorgan Chase agreed to pay a mere $2 a share to buy all of Bear — less than one-tenth the firm’s market price on Friday.
Three missing still in crane collapse...
Three people were missing Sunday, a day after a crane collapsed, killing four construction workers on the east side of Midtown Manhattan, Mayor Michael Bloomberg told reporters.
Tornadoes hit in the southeast...
Two people in rural northwest Georgia are dead and dozens injured after a series of severe storms moved through the Southeast this weekend, producing the first-ever tornado to hit downtown Atlanta.
16 dead in Tibet riots...
Tibet's governor promised leniency to anti-Chinese protesters who turned themselves in before the end of Monday — and harsh consequences for those who don't — while troops fanned out to quell sympathy protests that have spread to three neighboring provinces.
Raw Politics
Obama ex-minister under attack...
The Rev. Jeremiah Wright's former church criticized the news media Sunday for coverage of his sermons, saying in a statement that Wright's "character is being assassinated in the public sphere."
Styles vary on the campaign trail...
The Democrats running for president are promising sweeping changes to reinvigorate America's economy and boost its workers, including health care for all, overhauling or scrapping of trade deals, broad tax cuts for the working class and a crackdown on companies that ship jobs overseas.
Male vote key to win...
In the fierce campaign between Senator Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, a battle dominated by questions of race and gender, white men have emerged as perhaps the single critical swing constituency.
As campaign drags on, aides put lives on hold...
There is the abandoned $1,000-a-month temporary apartment in Des Moines, littered with dirty T-shirts and a deflated air mattress. The campaign aide whose 105-degree fever sent her to the hospital. The neglected fiancée in New York who handed down an ultimatum: Take a weekend off — or else.
Crime & Punishment
Graves found Manson campound...
Bone-white stretches of salt, leached up from the lifeless soil, lay like a shroud over the high desert where a paranoid Charles Manson holed up after an orgy of murder nearly four decades ago.
Man defends self in murder case...
It's an axiom known by every lawyer and judge in every courthouse in the land: A man who represents himself in court has a fool for a client.
Keeping Them Honest
Tainted drugs put focus on F.D.A.
After a contaminated medicine from China was linked to as many as 17 deaths in the United States, members of Congress clamored for changes while regulators defended their actions.
Families sue Chiquita...
Tania Julin remembers hearing the distinct sound of feet racing through the dark Panamanian forest moments before armed masked men burst through the door of the modest hut she shared with her husband.
What YOU will be talking about TODAY
Bees swarm morning commute...
Imagine driving down the highway amid the typical stream of cars and trucks to suddenly discover millions of bees swarming toward the morning commute.
On Twitter
I don't think the media is being unfair to the Pastor, but I do think its exploiting him. He is an old angry man who may have suffered many slights that has brought him to this place. However, I don't know why Obama has to account for him. Have we demanded that our political leaders who are Catholic account for the painful incidence of pedophilia involving priests, bishops and poor innocent children that has occurred in the Catholic Church, past and present? Of course not! There are still revelations regarding priests who stand accused and in many cases their parishes rally around them, because they can't believe that the Priest is really a monster.
Ministers have been preaching fire and brimstone forever and many times they say outrageous and controversial things. Few members of the Church leave. And in most cases the minister is still welcome for Sunday dinner in the homes of the membership.
If someone can find a speech or writing by Obama that indicates that he hates whites or holds them in disdain, I think we need to give this a rest.
If you read his record in the Illinois State Senate and the US Senate, there is no indication of a problem. If you review his earmarks he seems to me to be a very well rounded individual who sought funds for schools, youth projects, prisoner rehabilitation, hospitals, police departments and U.S. military installations.
I think we could all do with some positive news. I hope you are going to talk about the new governor of NY David A. Paterson tonight! New York is lucky to have him. Governor Paterson’s resume is impressive; he has more than enough experience and qualifications for the job and he has been able to succeed in the face of adversity. If that isn’t enough he has a great sense of humor and he seems to be highly respected and well liked by his colleagues and constituents. I wish Governor Paterson the best of luck!
Jo Ann
North Royalton, Ohio
I have watched CNN's many shows including AC360 on the sermons of Reverand Wright and all I can think of is that Christian Pastors should only give sermons or messages that Jesus would give.
I can't help but think that Jesus would never have said these words in the way they were said.
Please – all Pastors, whether black, white or whatever... you are Christians because God sent his Son – we no longer live in the old testament times when this type of rhetoric was par for the course.
Jesus was incluisve of people who followed him.
Also, when I heard Pastor Wright give his sermom about discrimiation the blacks felt, and how Clinton could have no idea of what that felt like. I totally disagree. I am a woman in a man's job, and believe me I know what its like to take home the lower paycheck. I know what its like to be called the "B" word, and I know what its like to be viewed and treated with disregard for my gender – and I'll be Hillary Clinton does too.
Don't think she does understand discrimination because you just handed her a healthy dose of it. Two wrongs don't make a right Pastor Wright.
Lesli
Burlington
Michigan and Florida: DNC Fiscal Restraint?
Anderson;
Michigan and Florida violated DNC rules. No matter the format or methodology another election will cost millions of dollars. Enough is enough. We are in a serious economic situation on all fronts in this country. Is the Democratic Party going to show some fiscal restraint and a little leadership? Are we going to squander millions of dollars of donors and/or taxpayers money because they violated the rules while we are in a recession?
Can the Dems stop bickering and seat the delegates through some form of negotiation?
Nice post Cindy, I too would like to see Anderson or another rep from the 360 team in Iraq. I just came back from two months in Nicaragua and South Africa and I can honestly say that I would rather see some coverage from overseas than some of the stuff being aired all over the news, and not just on CNN either. It seems that in all the political hubbub we have forgotten our brothers in these foreign countries that need our support and help.
"Confused on arrival,
Left in a stupor,
this is your brain
on Anderson Cooper"
The economy is crashing, the Fed is using your money to bail out the morons who wrecked it while Anderson is brilliantly
focusing on Obama's minister. God help us all.
I am not surprised that McCain and Cheney are in Iraq since it is the 5 year anniversary. I would expect a whole lot to be said about the war in the coming days rather good or bad. But why isn't 360 going to be there? Or are they? I'd like to see Anderson and the guys there to cover this.
The storms here over the weekend were really bad. I got stuck driving in one where it was hailing and raining so bad that all the cars were stopped on the road with their hazard lights on. And you still couldn't see the road or the car in front of you. Finally we started driving again but only like 10-15 MPH until we drove out of it.
I don't see why Obama's preacher is saying he is being attacked. He is the one that made those ridiculous statements in his sermons. We aren't making any of it up. If he doesn't like what is being said then he should speak out and explain himself and say he is sorry. If not he needs to suck it up and be quiet.
My bet is Wright made a lot more racial speeches that we don't know about yet. I hope that someone will look into that.
Cynthia, Covington, Ga.
Thank you for having this blog available. It's great to be able to make comments...kind of releases the tension of some of the news reports. My comment about Senator Clinton's Iraq speech today: Make it really good, Hillary, because Barack will use most of the points that you make in his speech when he has enough time to memorize it.
Obama's Pastor
I am a 50 year old African American, I have some very old family members that do believe some of the statement that Pastor Wright has stated. However, this really shows the inorgrance on part of some people whom have no understanding of the history of African Americans. It's time for a change in American, Pastor Wright is one of those old elders that will rebuke at change and will say things now that we call poltical incorrect and offensive. African American believe this day and this time that all this racist stuff that has shown it's ugly head was started by a need to win. Sad that the Clinton's had to take this road .., so sad
Why is it that CNN continue to sensationalize sound bites from sermons of Reverend Wright that are taken out of context from the whole of the sermon? You complete ignore or are ignorant of the prophetic tradition of the African American Preacher to stand over and against a government and to call it to repentence for its sins against humanity. I suggest that you gather a roundtable with previous commentators such as Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Cornell West, Michael Eric Dyson and Cleophus LaRue of Princeton University to talk about the prophetic ministry of The Black Church and African American preachers. The role of a prophet is a biblical tradition that doesn't sanction any and everything that a government does. That are systems and structures of oppression that must continually be confronted in governments throughout the world. Lastly, is there anything that Reverend Wright has said that is unfactual or false. Do you believe that America's government is not guilty of innocent blood at home and abroad? Do you feel that those acts of inhumanity should be blessed by God? And, inasmuch as there is a cry to have Obama repudiate, denounce, reject those 'soundbites', should not all Americans reject, denounce, repudiate and seperate ourselves from such unGodly, unrighteous and injust actions, past, present and future!!!
Listen Anderson, Rev. Wright, plain and simple, is a man who grew up during the Civil Rights Movement and has seen a lot of oppression of blacks. I understand that, but the only way American can ever "unite" as communities is to stop the separatist mentality. Sooner or later people like Rev. Wright need to put the hatred of slavery behind them. I believe it is slavery that keeps people like Rev. Wright holding on to the past. I am not saying let's forget it happened, that would be denying the history of the United States. There are many things that have happened before, during, and after the birth of our Nation that we can say were not good, but they happened and those things we learned from as a Nation. Races need to work at finding the commonalities and then celebrate the diversity that each race brings. If we were all the same the world would be a very boring place. Now, the only way for unity is to have black, white, and other race leaders with futuristic mindsets. Look forward to what we can be. However, we still have a generation that has been influenced by leaders such as Rev. Wright. It may take another generation of new visionaries with a more positive message before we can truly unite races. Looking at the Democratic race you can see how divisive the country is still. Although Senator Obama received a good portion of the White vote in early primaries, you can now see that that is reversing itself. All the while Senator Obama is receiving 90% of the black vote. Senator Obama talks about uniting the Country, but his upbringing has been greatly influenced by Rev. Wright. I voted for Senator Obama in the Virginia primary, but I have major reservations now. The Country looks pretty split to me. And I think that after this latest revelation I fear it will become more divisive.
Are they really saying that the media is being unfair on Obama pastor? You have to be joking. If they think his remarks are not racist makes me wonder what kind of people attend a church like that. I don't care if it was one time or a thousand times it is racist and unacceptable behavior. Please CNN don't spin this into poor African American. The pastor used that as an excuse and the next think you know other will use his words to justify hate. Please ask Obama why is he no denouncing the pastor? Why is he making excuses and saying he is like an uncle? Well I for one know if Hillary went to a church that preached hate like this the media would be on her back Why does Obama have different standards?