Anderson is back in New York tonight.
We're going to launch a new way to take part in the 360° live blog. Tonight we'll debut a live web camera from the 360° studio. The shot features Anderson and Erica behind the scenes on the set. We'll turn the camera on at 945p ET and turn it off at 11p ET.
LINK TO THE BLOG CAMERA (sorry – no audio – talk to the lawyers)
As for the live blog, we'll start posting comments at 10p ET and stop at 11p ET.
As the Democrats continue their primary battle, John McCain has launched his biography tour as a way to re-introduce himself to voters. It will emphasize his half-century of public service highlighted by his military record and tremendous sacrifice.
But in an op-ed today, conservative commentator Bill Kristol argues biography alone won’t be enough for McCain to win in November. In fact, if you look back at the last four elections the candidates with stronger resumes all lost. And those four candidates, George H.W. Bush, Bob Dole, Al Gore and John Kerry, were all war veterans.
But for some Democratic voters biography has played a role in their decision. Many of Obama’s supporters specifically point to his diverse background as a factor for choosing him over Clinton.
So how much does a candidate’s biography matter to you? Does McCain’s provide an edge over either Obama or Clinton in a general election match-up? Will the historic biographies of becoming the first women or African-American give Clinton or Obama an advantage?
Send us your thoughts.
– Eric Bloom, 360° Producer
I know, I know. I haven’t blogged in a while, and yes, my new year’s resolution was to blog everyday. Or was it just to blog more frequently? I forget. Criticize all you want, but how many of you have kept your new year’s resolutions?
I got back from Los Angeles yesterday, and it was great to get home. A lot of people have been sending me notes, wishing me well after my little surgery. As I said, it really was not a big deal, but I appreciate all the kind notes and cards you’ve been sending. Thank you. My stitches are out and I rarely think about it anymore, except to remember to try and stay out of the sun.
Tonight, we take you out on the campaign trail, to show you the latest on the battle between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. We’ll also investigate doctors in rehab. Are they being carefully supervised enough? Randi Kaye has an investigation that may just surprise you. READ HER BLOG
I hope to see you tonight. Live from New York.
– Anderson Cooper
Sen. Barack Obama has called for a national discussion on race in America, and one of the folks who sure didn't hold back when asked was Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
In a discussion with the editorial board of the Washington Times on Thursday, Rice called racism a "birth defect" of America, and said that black Americans have loved the nation even when it didn't love us.
The Times reported:
“Black Americans were a founding population," she said. "Africans and Europeans came here and founded this country together — Europeans by choice and Africans in chains. That's not a very pretty reality of our founding.”
“As a result, Miss Rice told editors and reporters at The Washington Times, "descendants of slaves did not get much of a head start, and I think you continue to see some of the effects of that..."
A cease-fire is in effect in Iraq between Shiite militas and Iraqi forces. Here's the big question: Did Iran help make it happen? Here at home, another push is being made to end the democratic presidential race. While, on the GOP side, Senator John McCain is sharing his "life story" with voters. And, fear not Jessica Simpson is out of the hospital. But consider yourself warned – Kathy Lee Gifford is returning to TV. Here's your afternoon buzz:
Top Stories
Big changes in store for the Fed
Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson proposed a set of sweeping changes on Monday aimed at modernizing the nation's financial system in what could herald the biggest regulatory overhaul of Wall Street since the Great Depression.
Sources: Iran helped prod Iraq cease-fire
Iran was integral in persuading Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to halt attacks by his militia on Iraqi security forces, an Iraqi lawmaker said Monday.
Raw Politics
Democratic statesman warns of election disaster
Another day, another idea to end the remarkable race for the Democratic presidential nomination — this one from...
McCain's 'biography tour'
Sen. John McCain on Monday recalled his family history and patriotic roots as he kicked off a tour to introduce himself to the general electorate.
Crime & Punishment
Mother of drowned kids: Husband threatened them
A man who had argued with his estranged wife over the custody of their three children has confessed to drowning them in a hotel bathtub on the night they were to go back with their mother, police said Monday.
Missing pregnant woman found dead
A missing pregnant woman has been found dead in Texas nearly 60 miles from where she was last seen alive.
What YOU will be TALKING about TONIGHT
Jessica Simpson out of hospital
Jessica Simpson is feeling "much better" after being hospitalized with a...
Death of Anna Nicole Smith's son ruled an...
A Bahamas jury ruled Monday that Anna Nicole Smith's son died from...
Kathie Lee Gifford makes TV comeback
Kathie Lee Gifford, the former co-host of “Live with Regis and Kathie Lee,” is returning to morning television as the host of...
There we were, gathered in a hotel room with about seven or eight patients who say they were “butchered” by their doctor. As they prepared to show us proof, I told myself I was ready. I had seen some of the pictures online and in some of the emails these people had sent us. But I was wrong. (Read the full story)
Nothing could have prepared me for what they revealed.
Most of these women were cut all the way around, from their back to their belly button. Their upper belly hung awkwardly over their lower belly, as if you put a belt around their midsection and tightened it as much as you could. On all of them, a deep black scar circled the abdominal area.
One woman showed me her incisions – still open and bleeding slightly, years after her surgery. That same woman no longer has a belly button.
She said she was told she would heal better from the “inside out,” so he took a scapula and cut her back open after she had complications with incisions.
Another woman showed me her lopsided breasts. One much larger than the other. One woman who couldn’t be there because she’s too sick emailed us a picture of her with a volley-ball sized ‘pouch” attached to her abdomen. She told us it holds her intestines.
As my producer, Catherine Mitchell, worked with the photographer to capture the images, I found myself having to turn away. In part, out of shock, and also out of sadness for how disfigured these people now look. They went in for plastic surgery, in most cases for breast reconstruction following a cancer and a mastectomy, and came out like this. I felt sick. I wanted to cry. They did cry...
Hey Bloggers!
Happy Monday... How was your weekend? Relaxing? Productive? None-of-the-above? Don't sweat it, we'll help you get through the work-day with a dose of ‘Beat 360°.’ Everyday we post a picture – and you provide the caption. Our staff will get in on the action too.
Tune in every night at 10p ET to see if you are our favorite! Can you Beat 360°?
Here is today’s “Beat 360°” pic of the day: We have Director Martin Scorsese posing with the Rolling Stones (left to right: Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Mick Jagger and Ronnie Wood) at the premiere of "Shine A Light" featuring The Rolling Stones.
Have fun with it.
Make sure to include your name, city, state (or country) so we can post your comment.
– David Reisner, 360° Digital Producer
Update: Check out last night's winner!
Hi all... I just want to let you know we're still tracking the flood of Congressional requests to earmark and spend millions of your tax dollars for pet projects.
The silly spending season in Congress opened with a bang, or maybe the more appropriate word is a crash. So many requests for next year’s spending bills flooded the Appropriations Committee that the computer couldn't handle it.
Committee staff says the computer "got very slow" when everyone sent in their requests at once. They insist it wasn't a "crash," just a big slow down. Um, are we parsing a little bit here?
In any case, the "slow down" prompted House leaders to move the deadline later to let members get in all their zillions of earmark requests for next year.
How many are there and what are they? If you've been following this issue, you know Congress doesn’t trust you and me with that information yet. We've got our sources working it, though...so stand by.
– Drew Griffin, 360° Correspondent/Special Investigations Unit