Live Blog from the Anchor Desk 5/7/08
She’s staying in the race despite an overwhelming defeat in North Carolina and a narrow
victory in Indiana. Sen. Hillary Clinton vowed to campaign until the democrats have a nominee. Why doesn’t she give up? What is she fighting for? Will she be able to convince superdelegates she'd be a better match up against Sen. John McCain?
Tragedy in Myanmar where 100 thousand people could be dead after Friday’s cyclone but the military government is keeping relief out. We've got the pictures they don't want you to see.
It's called the Bishop’s list and it’s a record of the fathers, wives and children of Warren Jeff's polygamist ranch. Is this the evidence the state needs to make its case?
We’ve got a lot tonight and want to hear what you think. We’ll start posting comments at 10p ET and stop at 11p ET.
Don’t forget to check out our web camera. 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
What's it's like to be on Oprah
David Mattingly, 360 Correspondent
I've been on television more than half my life. I spent a decade anchoring and reporting in local television before working the last 16 years at CNN. But I have to say that at no time have my wife and mom been more impressed with me than today when I appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show.
I was invited to speak about the Texas polygamy case, a story I've covered closely for AC360. It was on AC360 that I became the first correspondent to report live from inside the FLDS sect's compound.
But somehow that big moment paled next to talking about it with Oprah.
Don't get me wrong, my wife is a huge Anderson fan. But there's just something about Oprah. (Obama got a big bounce from her attention...does that mean I will too? Hmmmmm).
In all honesty, it was a great thrill to get the call...thank you very much Oprah!
Erica’s News Note: Back in action
Erica Hill
360° Correspondent
Happy Wednesday, my friends! Wow, talk about a weird night…it seemed every time I left the room and came back, something had changed in Indiana. My in-laws have said how exciting it’s been the past few weeks to really matter this time around – something they haven’t felt in decades. Confirmation last night that Hoosier votes DO matter in this primary. What a ride…
_________
I can’t stop reading about the creepy man in Austria who confessed to holding his daughter captive as his sex slave for nearly a quarter century. The latest? Josef Frtizl doesn’t like the way he feels he’s being portrayed in the media. He says he’s not a monster, and that the coverage was “unfair”, noting he didn’t kill anyone while he held them prisoner and that, in fact, if it weren’t’ for him, his 19 year old daughter/granddaughter may have died. Riiiight, so now he’s a thoughtful humanitarian? These delusional comments make me even more upset.
_________
Toddlers smoking pot? And cigarettes?
Kids don’t just find a joint and decide to fire it up – someone has to teach them how, especially a 2 year old. Whoever did (allegedly) teach these kids to smoke deserves every available punishment and then some. There is NO excuse for harming a child like this.
Sadly, it’s not the first time this has happened...
FULL POST
What 100,000 people means...
David Reisner
360° Digital Producer
A U.S. diplomat says the Myanmar cyclone death-toll may top 100,000…
It’s hard to fathom just how many people 100,000 really amounts to.
How do we take in the death of that many people at once?
Here's one way to look at it: Imagine any one of these U.S. cities disappearing - overnight.
That drives it home for me, what about for you?
U.S. CITIES WITH POPULATION AROUND 100,000
- Berkeley, California
- Burbank, California
- Waterbury, Connecticut
- Pompano Beach, Florida
- Athens-Clarke County, Georgia
- Savannah, Georgia
- Springfield, Illinois
- Cedar Rapids, Iowa
- Topeka, Kansas
- Lafayette, Louisiana
- Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Ann Arbor, Michigan
- Manchester, New Hampshire
- Elizabeth, New Jersey
- Fayetteville, North Carolina
- Norman, Oklahoma
- Allentown, Pennsylvania
- Charleston, South Carolina
- Beaumont, Texas
- Waco, Texas
- Portsmouth, Virginia
- Bellevue, Washington
- Green Bay, Wisconsin
Source: U.S. Census Bureau 2006
Burma: Stories that must be told
Anderson Cooper
The numbers are shocking. 10,000 dead. Then yesterday 50,000. Now a top U.S. diplomat inside Burma suggests the death toll could be as high as 100,000. The truth is we don’t know. We may never fully know.
We’ve heard reports of bodies being dumped into rivers. We’ve seen this before. In Rwanda in 1994 I stood on a bridge over a river and saw dozens of bodies float downstream. They would collect at the base of a waterfall, caught in the swirling water, terribly bloated. I can still smell them. How many people in Burma will simply disappear?
What has happened in Burma is a natural disaster, but what is happening now is a man-made outrage. The government of Burma has been slow to allow aid groups in. I have been trying to get a visa for days now, but have not been granted one yet.
It is frustrating, to say the least. It’s important for journalists to be allowed in to convey the true scale of the catastrophe. It’s even more important that international aid groups be granted immediate access to the hardest hit areas.
CNN has a correspondent in Burma who is working around the clock to get information out. He is doing a great job. Many of us here at CNN wish we could join him. It is not for lack of trying.
Burma has seen so much suffering, so much pain, but what’s happening now should not be about politics or positions. It should be about getting aid to those in need, and preventing the spread of disease. We will be bringing you the latest from Burma tonight, in addition to the latest on politics here in the US.
100,000 dead. 50,000. 10,000. Their stories deserve to be told.
It was a game changer, all right.
Barclay Plamer
360° Senior Producer
It was a game changer, but not the kind Hillary Clinton wanted. Nor the kind Barack Obama wanted, for that matter.
Obama's 14-point victory in the North Carolina primary, bringing him closer to the number of delegates needed to win, has prompted more calls for Clinton to drop out of the race to protect Democrats in the general election.
In fact, former Sen. George McGovern – and former presidential candidate – now says he has switched his support to Obama, and called on Clinton to drop out and unite behind Obama. "I think she has waged a really courageous and valiant campaign,’ McGovern told CNN. “She will have my affection and admiration for all of my days."
Yet, true to character, Clinton forges on in West Virginia today, hoping her support among white blue-collar workers and women will bring her the game changer she’s been predicting. Clinging to her 2 point victory in Indiana, she says, “it’s full speed onto the White House.”
And, even as experts agree with McGovern that Obama has the math on his side, all sides wonder what it means for the general election that Obama has not been able to win over her voting blocs, and her states.
So.. it ain't over 'til it's over.
Or is it... What do you think?
Bloggers describe 'sad moment' for Myanmar
Eyewitness reports on the devastation and suffering left in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar trickled out Wednesday by way of Web sites and blogs.
"This is indeed a very sad moment for all Myanmar people," blogger Myat Thura wrote from neighboring Thailand.
More than 22,000 people have died, according to estimates from Myanmar's state-run media. Another 40,000 are believed to be missing, according to the estimates, and 1 million have been left homeless since the storm hit last weekend in Myanmar, formerly known as Burma.
"They are my people and it hurts me so much. Why our Burmese people have to suffer such kind of hardship? Why us?" Myat Thura wrote.
Another blogger, who calls herself May Burma, blamed the storm's devastation on corruption and dissipation in Myanmar society.
"Burmese used to say that our country never had natural disaster since we have our religion, culture and so many arhats [spiritual practitioners], pure monks and sayadaws [senior monks]. This is not the case anymore lately," she wrote.
A blogger called Rule of Lords claimed to translate reports from Thai television station Yoma 3 into English.
According to Rule of Lords, the station quoted eyewitnesses who said refugees were pouring into Laputta, even though the storm flattened the city of 50,000
Beat 360° 5/7/08
Hey Bloggers!
Ok, here it is – time for a heapin' plate of 'Beat 360°.' Funny-side-up of course – just how you like it:
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: Here we see Democratic presidential hopeful, Sen. Barack Obama, chatting with union members as he eats his breakfast at the Evansville Labor Temple in Evansville, Ind., earlier this week.
Here's one to get you started:
It's good no? With the price of eggs skyrocketing and all, you can’t even taste the cardboard substitute, am I right?... Senator?... More O.J.?
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 our Beat 360° winners!
An Epilogue on Jeremiah Wright - The backlash that never came
Amy Holmes
CNN Political Analyst
So, can we now put to rest the always false notion that Jeremiah Wright represented and embodied the African American community?
It was not true when Barack Obama declared that he could no more disown Wright than he could the black community.
It was not true when Obama supporters rushed to "contextualize" Wright's absurd conspiracy theories and damnations of America.
It was proven not true when NBC and the Wall Street Journal asked African American poll respondents in late March their view of Wright and he received only a 15% approval rating.
And last night, Barack Obama won the African American vote with 91% in North Carolina and 90% in Indiana after denouncing Wright in a widely televised, reported, and repeated press conference. Those voters chose sides, and they chose Barack Obama.
Reverend Wright may have done many good works for his congregants and the south side of Chicago. And he may speak for and to a good number of people who agree with his political views.
But last night a far greater number cast their vote for the man who said, "Enough."
'A change is gonna come'
Editor's note: This blog appeared on TheNation.com on the campaign '08 blog.
Katrina vanden Heuvel
Editor, The Nation
American Idol finalist Syesha Mercado had just finished singing Sam Cooke's 1964 classic "A Change is Gonna Come" when Obama strode onto the stage in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Syesha wept, as she reminded Randy, Paula and Simon of the civil rights movement which fueled Cooke's song, life and power.
Obama spoke of the change that was coming –the attacks, the rightwing playbook, and he worked to inoculate himself with power, passion, and words that soared.
Obama, tonight, gave a definitional speech. Some considered it a convention acceptance speech.
It was a redefinition of the American Dream.
A Change is Gonna Come.
Let me tell you who I am, Obama told us, reintroducing himself after a rough and rocky week. Let me tell you what makes me tick.
He spoke of his love for America, challenging those who would define patriotism through lapel pins.
Obama spoke of the movements and government which gave his grandfather the opportunity to go to college on the GI bill when he came home from war; which gave his mother,who was on food stamps, the opportunity to send him to the best schools; which gave his father-in-law, a shift worker with MS, the opportunity to send his daughter and son to one of the best colleges in the nation.
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