Live Blog from the Anchor Desk 11/09/09
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Tonight, we have breaking news on the suspected Fort Hood killer. Plus, Oprah talks with Anderson about her book club and her passion to educate children. And, we're taking your questions on health care reform. Text your questions to AC360 or 22360.
Want to know what else we're covering? Read EVENING BUZZ
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Anderson Cooper goes beyond the headlines to tell stories from many points of view, so you can make up your own mind about the news. Tune in weeknights at 8 and 10 ET on CNN.
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Anderson – please ask about reconciliation???
I'm glad the bill passed the house and I hope it passes the senate. I watched much of it on C-span. They sometimes seem so childish.
Texas gov says health reform should use Texas as a model. No kidding he said that this weekend.
Hello Erica!!!
Nice see you on live blog! Hope you had great weekend!
That is crazy. I applaud CNN in diving into the numbers on uninsured. The red states talk lots of yang about taxes, well it seems like my taxes pay for their visits to the emergency room and at least with health care reform it will cost me less!!
Great segment on the relationship between the uninsured and their congressional representation. This is much better than simply repeating commentators' opinions.
I think it's just horrible that innocent lives were taken from them and their loved ones...they were young and yet there were red flags months before and it could of been stopped before it got started.
I think the elimination of abortion from the coverage is good.
If it is rape, incest or health related that is one thing...as a form of birth control just because....NOPE.
I'm an ER nurse in San Antonio and I'm not surprised at the rate of uninsured in Texas. It's heart breaking to see patients over and over and sicker each time because they can not afford their medications! Something needs to change.
good seeing you Randi!.great reporting..
If we will mandate people to buy heath insurance then we need single payer health plan. This is scarry. My insurance called me and said that if I need elective sergery then I can go offshore because it cost less but my premium will not go down.
How many of those unisured residents in those 4 states are here illegally?
Glad they caught her taking those shots on camera.
What info did Rep Hoekstra say was being leaked? Can members of congress be briefed by phone, internet, teleconference?
Does CID have to brief congress on an ongoing investigation at congress's request?
@ Ryan the Army does thorough criminal background checks. your fingerprints are ran through an FBI database. The recruiter knows ahead of time about all charges and or convictions of any applicant before they ship out to training. And you can't even enlist with an open traffic/ parking ticket.
I am so glad that the Health Care Reform was passed.
I am without insurance and so is my sister.
She went to the ER this past Wednesday and was admitted that evening. They let her out Saturday evening and told her to follow up with her primary doctor in a week....WHAT DOCTOR? No insurance no Primary doctor.
Hopefully a charity will pick her expenses. Ulcer that presented as pancreatitis. She couldn't get insurance due to a birth defect...pre-existing condition they say.
I also have a medical bill hanging over me as well....no work, no insurance, no money for insurance.
ER visits cost the whole country because we are the uninsured.
I am glad this bill past....prevention is better than cures.
What could they have done really? I figure that's the situation his co-workers and supervisors had to deal with. Unfortunately, it's really hard to do anything unless a person commits a crime. Working in social work, there's many people one finds worrisome, but the attitude is always, "Wait and see." The issue of identifying and preventing psychotic behavior is the real problem.
Interesting discussion with Rep. Hoekstra.
And great "Keeping Them Honest" from Randi – the numbers seem really large
@Andre, let's remember that the promotion rates are for those who stay in. I would assume that at least 50% of all officers leave after their initial obligation is up. And 90%+ promotion rates up to O4 aren't new. It's been that way for decades.
Rep Hoekstra just on. Pay real attention and you'll see he essentially said, "House hasn't been briefed on Ft Hood gunman; there was a briefing today (Mon) but we weren't there". So he's HAS NOT been briefed but he goes on nat'l TV to claim he KNOWS the gunman is a home grown jihadist? How irresponsible!
@Ryan, They had all the evidence they needed, they just chose to ignore it.
I thank the Senator and Gen, Casey for endorsing "not jumping the gun" on this Fort Hood horror.
It could be very dangerous for other innocent Muslims to be victimized without a complete investigation of this Major's motivation.
Thank God he is still alive so that there is a chance we will find out Why he killed innocents.
If health Insurance is so important, why does the bill not go into effect until 2013? The taxes go into effect right now. Could it be that it is done to cover the fact that the bill is going to be a deficit buster after 10 years or that Obama runs for President in 2012?
Could this incident lead the Military to perform more thorough background checks? Is it possible that future soldiers be denied inlistment due to minor criminal charges?
Are there people who should be held accountable for this kind of thing to happen? Is it the army's fault, FBI?
@Mike, formerly from Syracuse, I agree with you and that is why these terrorists will continue to commit these types of crimes. This over the top PC business has not stopped them. How does the PC crowd explain that? They will always find a reason.
How is it that the army had a Muslim psychiatrist evaluating and, presumably, counseling troops returning from combat missions against muslims? The fact that these men were suffering from PTSD relative to that service and Hasan had to not just listen to them, but help them. Were any of the victims his patients? Curious!
Hi AC! I didn't know about the book club until today. I hope you do it again with more notice to read the book. Our book club was going to try to read Oprah's next book along with our selection.
@ Mega Dresslar
Amen!
They need to have a like 3 month evaluation of all soldiers just to keep a closer eye on them and make sure things like this do not happen again!
Shame on the Army for letting their desire to be politically correct prevent them from discharging the major from active duty. He asked to be released from service and his request was denied.
Hasan's classmate who was interviewed stated how Hasan stated he was a Muslim first and an American second, and how was this not seen as a conflict. Where does this statement hold any merit? Isn't a Christian solider a Christian first and an American second? Or is this again evidence that the feeling of this country and even our military branches are a wing of a Christian religion?
Thanks for your program. Major Hassan might had have a link with the criminal Islamic regime in Iran. I think it's a good idea for the FBI to check into it. The reason that I suspect he might have some ties with the Iran's regime is that on the same day that Hassan did his action in Fort Hood, big student protests were happening in major Iranian cities in which the regime brutally attached these young students and many young girls are still missting as the result of a massive arrest.
Hassan might have done his act to undermine the news in Iran and instead to draw all the media attention to his psycho criminal act.
I am confused about Hasan.
We should wait for the investigators to finish their job, so far all they are saying that He might be just one person is not jihaddi's.
I think there is too much attention being paid to His religion.
That's a big woman there. She should be take out of the game for the rest of the season, but you did hear from me!
The last thing we need is Congress sticking it's incompetent nose into this. Let the Army and FBI do it's investigation.
Anderson,
Hi! Happy Monday.
I had computer trouble viewing the Oprah webcast, but what I did see was exceptional–I'm looking forward your interview.
Yes we now know all about the "alleged suspect" in the Fort Hood massacre. It's time to remember the victims and their families during this grief the entire country is experiencing.
It's just so unfair to the soldiers that had to die for something that showed red flags months before this tragedy. Their gone and the families are suffering for it.
Why not a public option? At least then it can be controlled instead of the uncontrolled millions of dollars we currently spend when all of the uninsured just walk into emergency centers for help now and WE all pay for it.
Anderson as a soldier who happens to be an Army recruiter i now the following to be true. 1. The army has a severe shortage of officers. 2. The selection board for officers up to LTC is a joke. The promotion rate for Army majors is between 92 to 98 percent which leads to 3. No good qualified officer wants to stay in the Army because no matter how hard he works, another guy who is far less qualified or compentent is going to go promoted at the same time. Almost like social promotion. We enlisted folks call it no officer left behind. I have also put in 2 soldiers of Islamic/arabic backgrounds into the army.
Good evening from NJ
Would it be so wrong to make inquiries b4 each promotion or even more often where a soldier's loyalties lie?
Dave.
I would like to know if this guy had these ideas in 1997 of if he snapped from social pressure post 9-11? I am not suggesting it’s an excuse but I suspect with his name he may have encountered substantial flack in the service, in Texas post 9-11. Any thoughts? Andy C.
I am tired of the blame going around...it seems ridiculous that we are pointing fingers. Its upseting for sure but no can be put in a slot so it is going to be hard to blame one person except the shooter at fort hood. I am sure there are many people that get upset about being deployed but they dont do the same as the shooter.
isn't this the 3rd time a soldier, being of muslim faith, opened fire killing other american soldiers? having served 11 years in the military, we need to rethink entrance criteria.
@Isabel, it is nice to see you here. What is the time in Brazil? are you up late?
michael I was wondering about eyewitness acccounts too, and how the Army CID investigation is going.
I didn't realize that was the same soccer player shot after shot when I say a rept on this earlier today.
Hello, I am listen to your programme and find it interesting that just because a Muslim says that he is Muslim first and then American it is seen as evidence of his probable terrorist connections. I have often heard heard devout Christians claim that before all else they are Christian or followers of Christ; as in I am a Christian before I am a wife or I am a follower of Christ before I am a father or a business man. I wish the rhetoric would fade and wait until we all know more.
I caught some of the Oprah webcast. I wish 360 would occasionally air pieces from Africa-based correspondents (like David McKenzie).
Yes very big OxyMoron this Nadil would be in the very thing he detested
and vent his anger and hostility towards.....How could he spend so much effort and time and his life to achieve something of status and become that which he was to treat,,,,Wonder if this guy had two personalities?
Obviously he he could have simply renounced his service and even citizenship and just move to Iran or something or Iraq...join some radical group there...
Anderson,
Will there really be a fine for those who do not enroll in some form of health care insurance? What about those who do not have jobs to pay for ANY?
What will happen to those of us who currenttly have insurance, will we be forced to change?
College students just graduating will have a hard time finding a job in the first place, once we care no longer covered by our parents insurance will we be fined if we cannot afford coverage?
Is congress excluded from coverage under this healthcare bill? Why?
Thank you,
Vanessa (Richmond, VA)
@Jo Ann, the vast majority of blogs over the last few days seem to be more concerned with potential backlash against Muslims than the fact that 13 brave Americans are dead.