Morning Buzz
Morning folks....it is Friday. THANK GOD!!!! It has been a long news week...SO lets skip the introductions....grab your morning coffee and lets get right to this Friday headline party....
Editors NOTE: Please do notice that "March Madness" has begun, I am an avid College hoops fan...so I have added a link to Sport Illustrated for all the latest scores...ENJOY!!!
Top Stories
Earthquakes in China...
A total of four earthquakes - the strongest of them a powerful 7.2 magnitude quake - hit western China on Friday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
Slump moves from Wall Street to Main Street...
In Seattle, sales at a long-established hardware store, Pacific Supply, are suddenly dipping. In Oklahoma City, couples planning their weddings are demonstrating uncustomary thrift, forgoing Dungeness crab and special linens. And in many cities, the registers at department stores like Nordstrom on the higher end and J. C. Penney in the middle are ringing less often.
An agent, a green card and much more...
No problems so far, the immigration agent told the American citizen and his 22-year-old Colombian wife at her green card interview in December. After he stapled one of their wedding photos to her application for legal permanent residency, he had just one more question: What was her cellphone number?
US Justice defends tactics used on Spitzer...
The Justice Department used some of its most intrusive tactics against Eliot Spitzer, examining his financial records, eavesdropping on his phone calls and tailing him during its criminal investigation of the Emperor’s Club prostitution ring.
Raw Politics
Bill Richardson to endorse...
Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico plans to endorse Sen. Barack Obama in the Democratic race for president Friday, an Obama campaign spokesperson told CNN.
Obama passport breached...
On three occasions since January, Sen. Barack Obama's passport file was looked at by three different contract workers, said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack.
McCain on the World stage...
Sen. John McCain on Thursday conceded that the British public is "frustrated" over the war in Iraq, but warned that the battle is not won despite recent improvements in the security situation.
Wall street darlings...
Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, who are running for president as economic populists, are benefiting handsomely from Wall Street donations, easily surpassing Republican John McCain in campaign contributions from the troubled financial services sector.
Back to square ONE...
A proposal to stage a new Michigan primary to give the state's voters a voice in the fiercely contested nomination battle between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama collapsed Thursday. Neither candidate appeared any closer to agreement over the fate of the state's 156 delegates to the party's national convention Aug. 25-28 in Denver.
Keeping Them Honest
Keeping Starbucks honest...
Starbucks got caught with its hand in the tip jar and was ordered Thursday to pay California baristas more than $100 million.
Crime & Punishment
Wrongly accused man freed...
Willie Earl Green walked out of a California courtroom as a free man Thursday after serving nearly 25 years in prison for the execution-style murder of a Los Angeles woman, which he insists he never committed.
What YOU will be talking about TODAY
March Madness...
Who won and who lost in the NCAA tournament.
Public Health risk...
In a highly unusual outbreak of measles here last month, 12 children fell ill; nine of them had not been inoculated against the virus because their parents objected, and the other three were too young to receive vaccines.
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Filed under: Crime & Punishment • Keeping Them Honest • Raw Politics • The Buzz • Top Stories • What You Will Be Talking About Today |
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It is unfortunate most Americans in this country took exception to the Rev. Wright's surmon. I happen the have the blessed opportunity to be living and working in South Africa at the time when 911 hit. I just so happen to have been living there for some time (4 years). It was interesting to note once I arrived home in Johannesburg to view the news from the CNN perspective as well as the local news broadcast. Two different perspectives on the reason for the 911 attack. The local channels and the "man-on-the-street" perspectives was pretty much like Rev. Wright's sermon's dialogue; which happen to be scriptural predictions.
When one lives outside of the U.S, you get a different perspective of how others view U.S. policies, and past practices. Some of them were expressed to me long before the 911 attack. Wright's sermon is what many say privately, but he said it in a public forum.
I don't claim to be a genius on things of a political nature but ,you people in the press really have no idea what is going on in black america and it seems nor do most of those who work for the big corporations i.e. congress and the white house . How many of those poeple that you've had on the show commenting on Rev. Wright's speech have had to live paycheck to paycheck trying to make the american dream come true , how many live in the poorest parts of the city and see the drug use , the murders and such ...how many ?, I would say none , many in the press and the goverment don't care what happens in black america until election time, and even then do you or them really care ? NO .... because it just a story to run a 30 second sound bite . There are many in black america who feel the speech Rev. Wright gave was right on point , because of the things that we see and hear from the news outlets and the internet , police who get away with killing black men and then say that they felt that they were in danger , blacks who are railroaded by the justice system and locked away for years longer then whites who may have commited the same crime . This is my america love or hate it , but we will all stand by her come hell or high water ...and yes even Rev. Wright !!!!!!!
easter greetings to all. i am a sixty year old not well educated but a avid viewer of cnn. in fact i am called a cnn addict. i have been pondering this and it has been disturbing to think but is it possible that these non-friendly countries as well as china realizing that they cannot beat the u.s.a. with military strength they are in the mindset of bringing the usa to their knnes finacially? borrowing huge amounts of money from china in my opinion a red country 'selling out our both canada and the usa jobs. i think they have a bigger plan and it is beginning to play it's cards.just thoughts . thanks for reading them. if it looks like a rat 'smells like a rat then rad insecticide is quickly needed
IT MIGHT HAVE HURT HILLARY'S FEELINGS OVER RICHARDSON BACKING OBAMA BUT IF PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA DO RIGHT HILLARY WILL DO ALRIGHT,ANOTHER THING I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE WHITE PEOPLE OF THIS GENARATION SHOULD BE MADE TO FEEL GUILTY FOR THE SLAVERY YEARS ,IT WAS NOT IN OUR TIME AND I DON.T UNDERSTAND WHY THE BLACKS SHOULD SAY THEY HAVE SLAVERY BLOOD IN THEIR VEINS.MY FIRST HUSBAND DIED WHEN HE WAS TWENTYFOUR AND I WAS TWENTYTWO AND LEFT ME TO RAISE TWO BOYS THEN I MARRIED AGAIN THEN I MARRIED AGAIN DIDN'T WORKOUT AND THEN I MARRIED FOR THE FORTH TIME SO FAR SO GOOD,BUT JUST BECAUSE I HAD BAD MARRAGES IN MY VEINS I DIDN'T SPEND THE LAST FORTY SOMETHING YEARS OF MY LIFE BLAMING ANYONE FOR IT,I JUST WENT,PEOPLE NEED TO GET OVER ALL THIS A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BAD LIVES .
The big mistake the Democrat Party and Hillary haters are making is assuming that Barack Obama would have done as well in Iowa and the other heavily white populated state had they known what they know now about Barack Obama. Many in the National Press, particularly the Black Press, like Amy Holms, continue to use this flawed notion in their defense of Obama – whether this is being done in the case of the Republican pundit to further distort the Obama effect is not clear. Barack Obama’s association with Pastor Jeremiah Wright and his dam America and hate white America rhetoric has ended Barack Obama’s chance for being elected President of the United States and will play out in the privacy of the election cubical. The more the Black Church leaders excuse Pastor Wright by saying that what Pastor Wright preaches typifies what is being said in Black Churches across the Country the more it outrages White America. The backlash against Barack Obama will be difficult to poll and the truth will not be known until John McCain is sworn in as President on, January 20, 2009.
Carl
North Ogden, Utah
Hi, Anderson!
I'm glad you interviewed Barack Obama. Barack spoke very eloquently. I don't believe anything the Reverend Wright said in his sermon should be reflected on Barack Obama. Barack has great character and is very professional at all times when addressing people.
Kathleen
P.S. I'm proud of you, Anderson, recovering from skin cancer. You looking great. All the best to you!
Do you know what is really scary about all this. Hillary will eventually concede defeat to Obama as she should, but McCain will appoint her as his running mate as the VP in August. All of the Hillary supporters will vote the two of them in. This could be our dark future.
Mr. Richardson showed a real character weakness by endorsing Mr. Obama. As a democrat he will never get my vote again. I guess in politics you cannot trust anyone.Thanks.
it is so amazing how people view things so differently.......i listened to rev wrights speach in its entirety......to me he is still a racist and a bigot......he uses the bible to preach his hate........the richest of the rich are one color and the poorest of the poor are another..........im sure that this so called minister is one of the rich...........i dont condone all the things that the government does by any means.......but i am an american.....as i listened to this man , i started thinking about how barack obama conducts his rallys and what he says.......you can tell that he did sit in this mans church and he listened carefully to what was said... if sen obama wins this nomination he will not take the general election........his speach was a farse........he never answered any questions that the american people wanted to know........he decided that we should think about race issues.........when i grew up my mom taught us that everyone is the same.......i believe that........ i guess senator obama is like all the rest......bend the truth which is as good as a lie,,,,,,,,he has now made this campaign about race which will devide the democratic party.......kind of reminds me of the oj simpson trial.......all the evidence and no conviction
Bill Richardson's endorsement means ZERO and carries very little respect among Latinos. The Mayor of LA who endorses Hillary carries much more respect and affect than Richardson. This is just Obama trying to pull whatever positive he can out of the air – Obama has Patronized Racism, Anti-American comments and from more than just REV WRight for 20 Years !!! Obama has repeatedly lied about ALL OF IT ! He lives a lie by REFUSING TO WEAR A US Flag on his Lapel. He lied when he said he didn't hear any of the Anti-American Talk (he said we only talked about Jesus- LIE) Then he lied when he said he only took money from $25, $50 & $100 contributors – LIE, he took $250,000 from Louis Rezko – Then when he finally acknowledged he took money from Rezko he initially LIED about how much it was- ANOTHER LIE. The common demoninator with Obama is simple – ITS A LIE !!!
Anderson...Thanks for being fair and balanced in your reporting. I am not able to determine what candidate you are supporting, primarily due to your unbiased reporting skills. You make the extra steps to get the truth out to your viewers....I read the entire sermon of Rev Wright (posted by CNN) and have a complete different opinion of
the sermon after reading it in context, Thank you Anderson for informing, enlightening, and making it possible for your audience to
avoid being ignorant.......We can relie on what is reported on 360
May Condoleeza Rice explain why she apologised to Barak Obama for passport security breach and then come out that the other candidates passport files where security breached. Didn't she know that at the same time?
what did sen obama offer the vp spot to richardson? this can only be some type of polictical gain for gov richardson......maybe the dnc feels that with richarson on his ticket he has a chance for the latino vote and things will die down for sen obama .......but he still cant win without the white vote...... a shout out to gov richardson im glad youre not my friend............
CNN is on all day, every day, but it took this long for someone to provide context to one of the incredibly damaging segments by Rev. Wright? What about the context for the other segment? And what about "the rest of the story" about the 30 history of the church?
The media handling of this one story could change the future of the U.S. election and the world. This is so serious. Please do your best.
CNN is at it"s best when you stand out from the crowd by providing context and depth, not just sound bites and surface analysis.
Wall Street darlings:
It is the height of hypocrisy for the two Democratic candidates who are running on an economic platform to be taking contributions from Wall Street investment houses. We the tax payers are going to bailing them out for they greed and lack of judgement. Will the candidates say that the money used to bail out these institutions could have been
better spent on investing in our schools, rebuilding our roads, providing healthcare to those who do not have it or job training to those who have lost their job. NO THEY WILL NOT!!!!!!! They seem to forget what they are running on when $$$ are needed to finance their campaigns.
Obama passport breached:
We should keep our powder dry until we have more investigation on how this could happen. This is a very serious matter and should not be speculated on. Reported but not speculated!!!!!
We should also move away from the Rev. Wright issue. We all now know what he said and have formed our opinions. It is time to get back to the issues facing this country both on the domestic and international fronts. As citizens we are all facing the same problems.
Susan
Phoenixville,PA
Obama has no control over who endorses him and by the way, you haters on this email, get a life. Hillary Clinton has lied about all her experience based on her white house documents and Bill Clinton had all the bad stuff deleted from documents. Hillary was more a cheeleader in the white house, she had no say so in major issues. She played Texas and Ohio regarding NAFTA and Foreign policies.
The Black Panthers has kept alot of white people safe as well as black people, stop hating.
Obama is tough and will get through all of these attacks. By the way did you see CNN where Rev. Wright and Bill Clinton was at a breakfast together in 1998 doing Clinton's affairs, Rev. Wright is not racial, he just preach the truth and you can't handle the truth.
I am not saying all but some white people dont want to hear about how they treated blacks and when it hit the surfact it becomes racial, but in reality, it's the truth.
Why didnt someone talk about slavery and segregation, this is where racism started, white slave masters said black people didnt have a soul, this is why it was easy for blacks to be hanged and burned.
White preachers did not way black preachers preaching to the white congregation, this is how 3pm worship came about the black preachers had to wait until 3pm to use the building, so who started racism, the whites.
Anderson you look great as always. As far as March Madness
My Texas Aggies won against BYU...Gig-gem Aggies! Beat UCLA.
I am very sad that Gov. Richardson decided to back Barack Obama, if they do not get their act together the Democrats do not have a chance in the fall.
As for March Madness well I am confident that Tar Heels will definitely win. Am a die-hard fan of Heels.
Anderson you looked great with the scar on your face. Take care
GO HEELS
Aruna
Chapel Hill
NC
Okay I just turned the television to CNN and Tony Harris
was saying that Hillary's passport file was also breached.
Coincidence ? Not !!!!
There’s been a glaring omission in all of this discourse on race: race is an 18th century social construct. It was born, ironically, when this nation was born. In the 21st century, we now know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that there is no scientific basis for the concept of race. In fact, “race” was created by 18th century social scientists to promote “white” superiority and to rationalize the enslavement of Africans and genocidal acts against Native Americans. We are still clinging to this anachronistic concept. Let’s begin to talk about why we need to replace the word race with ethnicity, eliminate “black” and “white”, and denounce and repudiate the ugly side of the mindset of our founding fathers who were slave owners and who certainly secretly believed this fallacious concept of “race”.
I now understand why the Clinton's have been so quiet during this pastor situation and that is because they knew Obama's pastor and even had him in the white House.
I also believe that they are the persons who put this story out there because they have been trying since S.C. to paint a ugly picture of Obama to the general public as some kind of no electable fool.
They know they can't beat him in votes so they have set out to destroy Obama's Image and so far they have done a good job at it. Also, I suspect that the Clinton team is behind this State Department violation of Obama's records.
You can say what you want but most of you are making judgemments on Obama's pastor by the little you see on TV and if thats all you need to make a sound judgement then I feel sorry for you because its like the blind leading the blind and if they fall off the cliff so will you unless you open your eyes.
Never the less, I see that Obama was right about the Race issue in America because most of you prove his point by some of the ugly things you post on these blogs.
WHY ISNT ANY MEDIA STATIONS ANNOUNCING THAT THE BLACK PANTHERS JUST ENDORSED OBAMA? HE IS A LIAR AND A RACIST AND PEOPLE AND THE MEDIA SHOULD NOT FORGET IT
This morning it's all about Obama's use of the phrase "typical white person". Well, I'm a "typical" white woman and I have to agree that I have felt uncomfortable at times when I've been walking down the street and an African American man has been walking towards me. I am ashamed of my reaction, particularly because I have six children, two of whom are my adopted multi-racial son and daughter. I think this puts me in the same league as Obama's grandmother, and I agree with him that these fears and reactions are the result of mutual mistrust and experience. We need to get beyond this point...personally and politically.
Gee..... I hope nobody looked in my passport file.........Yikes is this a soap opera??????
Is Gov. Richardson looking for a second spot on the ticket? He is really naive if he thinks that Obama owes him that. Senator Obama is doing just fine, but if he takes Hillary for VP then he has a big chance to beat McCain in November.
This breach of security in Obama's passport file is very strange. If the same people were doing it did they search for something (if so couldn't they remember what was in it the first time) or did they mess up with a file adding some pictures or false documents? This is not a small negligence so it needs more explanation from State Department.
I was listening to an interview discussing economic woes in the US. A comment was made that the US dollar is worth less than the Canadian dollar. The comment was made "how ridiculous is that". Perhaps you should look a little closer. This sounded like a very uneducated comment. The last time i looked the Canadian dollar was actually less than the US dollar, not by much, but it was.
There are reasons why the Canadian dollar is where it is relative to the US dollar. It seems like the expectation is that the US dollar should automatically be the "king of the hill". Start thinking global guys.
You guys looked nuts last night. There was not yet enough information about the breech of security in Obama's passport security to go with a full blown story. It was breaking news but little information was available. Your reporters didn't know what to say, yet Anderson Cooper kept asking them questions for which they had little or no information. Bottom line: have the facts before you attempt to report a major story. You looked silly trying to pull information from reporters who simply didn't know what else to say. Why not report it and move on? That was that. At the time the story broke there was nothing more to say.
Major J.
Anderson,
Why in the world did you go out with Barrack Obama the next day after his speech? I know you did that to help him come out of the mess he put himself in. Do you think it helped him in anyway? I don't think so. I saw when he told you that he will never be too tired to watch your show and you giggled. Is'nt it so obvious that you are biased? Answer me please.
On the Michigan and Florida primaries, it seems to me that regardless of what happens with the delegates, the popular vote should be included in reporting the overall tallies for Obama and Clinton. The fate of the delegates should not dictate the significance of these votes. Millions of Democrats in these states took the time and energy to go to the polls and register their opinion. It is a fantasy to pretend that these votes did not happen. The voters in these states have access to television, internet, newspaper and radio. It is incredibly paternalistic to suggest that they were ignorant as to the identity and position of the candidates running for the nomination, and thus, that their votes were not intentional or informed and should not be considered.
Gov. Richardson supporting Senator Obama. One incompetent politician supporting another incompetent politician. As the saying goes, 'Birds of a feather, fly together.' Judgement, character, honesty, integrity and common sense are "NO SHOWS" in the Obama campaign.Maybe, there will be some honest people around for the 2020 election. Hope so, but will not hold my breath.
Everyday the question is can Sen. Obama get pass this discussion of race and I think he can if the cable networks didn't rehash the same negativity day after day as though tryning to give other whites subliminal messages that we should not vote for him. So what he said his grandmother is "the typical white person..."
Report it and move on. Everyday we have to give this man a thorough rectal exam. Why is it that we always have to vote for someone white and they are always able to get pass their indescresions an comments but as he is a black man we have to see how best we can aide him inruining his career.
If he does not win this election or starts to falter in the polls much of it is the media is to blame.
There IS a Buddha afterall! My "dreamticket" has come true.
Obama/Richardson.
This is the team that has a chance of restoring US standing in the world, restore sanity to the White House, restore our faith in government.
Hybris, stupidity, lies and and dementia-like clinging to the ways of the 60s has cost our country blood, suffering, money and moral standing.
It has indeed been 8 hard years to be an American. Lets not just pray for better times ahead. Let us do something about it.
COME ON OBAMA/RICHARDSON!!!!!!!
Bill Richardson’s endorsement of Senator Obama lacks conviction and credibility. Richardson made this endorsement out of positioning himself within the Democratic Party rather than who he believes to be the best candidate for the job. Richardson made his endorsement out of obtaining a potential position within the Obama Administration rather than on principle. Many may ask how I came to this conclusion. Well, if Richardson really believed that Obama was the best candidate he would have made his decision on at a time when it could of helped Obama close the deal for good. He would have endorsed Obama a week before Texas and campaigned in the south of Texas to convince the Hispanic voters to vote for Obama. As tight as Texas was he would have made a great difference. Instead Richardson calculated and waited to see what would happen with the Florida and Michigan revotes. He knew that if a revote were going to happen in both those States that Clinton still had a good chance of claiming the nomination. If he had endorsed Obama earlier and revoting did occur he potentially would be on the outside looking in. Integrity is a wonderful thing if you have the courage to do what is right thing. Richardson may see himself as supporting his Party, but he is not supporting America. He is even turning his back on the will of the Hispanic community. Instead he is doing what is right for Bill Richardson. The momentum is clearly with Clinton because voters are changing their minds. The Democratic establishment, which Richardson is a part of, is panicking. Instead of letting the primary process do its thing Super Delegates and Party Leaders are trying to squash it. Instead if everyone would come out on TV as excited how the process is turning out, bias comments are made to support one of the candidates.
AC...how about putting the new polls [showing Clinton pulling ahead of Obama] in perspective by letting the viewers know if the sample was gathered before or after the historic race speech on Tuesday?
You did not mention the "Ticker" story on CNN.com concerning Geraldine Ferraro.
Has Geraldine Ferraro become a "suicide bomber", willing to sacrifice her legacy and career to pound the ugly side of the "race" issue in order to rally support for Clinton?
SHAME ON STARBUCKS!!! I'm sure supervisors make much more than the baristas so to essentially steal their tips is just plain wrong. Those baristas make the bulk of their money in tips!! Starbucks sucks and if they broke a state law then their point is moot.
On vaccines: my sister and my brother do not believe in immunizations and their arguments against them are strong. The only one of my nieces who received the most immunizations struggles with a speech disorder ( and she's eight years old now and still struggling) that some physicians believe to be neurological in its etiology and possibly caused by the vaccines she received as a baby.
Hello,
A few points:
1) Obama/Clinton & McCain talk lot about working with the various leaders in the Middle East, but nothing that I have seen, read or heard, addresses Amreica's future relations with it's European, and south-east Asian alliances...can CNN be a little more creative and start raising these points?
2) Where's all the coverage of the China earthquake?
3) Anderson, I think you should do a programme that we can see in Europe., at a normal time, not just at 3am. Your style of journalism is desperatley needed in the UK.
4) Just yesterday did I start reading blogs: Lovin' it.
Hey Anderson – My husband and I watch you every night – even though as retirees we are not your demographic model! We enjoy your show because quite frankly you have a brain – you are not just a "talking head"! Thought you'd be interested to know this one – much to my husband's dismay, I flash back and forth to Fox, as I think it's important to know what the others are saying. Anyway, Bill O'Reilly had some nice things to say about you last night – not the least of which he respects and likes your work. He's sometimes way over the top, but at least he is a smart guy, and I respect that! He would like Barack Obama to go on his show – insists he would be fair. I kind of believe him, and I think that it would be an opportunity for Barack to reach that audience. Thoughts??? Be well!
As I watched the breaking news story last night about the security breach of Obama’s passport, my first thought was “when did that picture surface of Obama wearing a turban?” I checked this morning and found that it was just before the Democratic debate in Texas. This was just a few days after the date of the second breach date of February 21st - coincidence? Add to that the name of Maura Harty and you really start to think, maybe not.