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The First Lady in Prime Time; Big Stage for Dems' Rising Star; SEAL Book on Bin Laden Killing Stories; Democratic Platform Uses New Language on Issues; Democrats Come to NASCAR County; Education Film Screens at RNC

Aired September 04, 2012 - 09:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

ZORAIDA SAMBOLIN, CNN ANCHOR: Special Ops veterans respond with their book called "No Easy Op." New questions this morning as accusations of bad blood and bitterness fly.

Turn left, but lean right. Call it the NASCAR vote. Stereotypically southern white men usually go red, so what can President Obama do to gain ground with these important voters?

Money, money, money. Your job and your raise. Find out where to score the most money.

And oh, what a night. Gabby, McKayla, Kyla, from the gym match to the pitcher's mound, the American all-star Olympians opened last night's Dodgers game.

NEWSROOM begins right now.

Good morning to you. I'm Zoraida Sambolin sitting in for Carol Costello.

Now it is the Democrats' turn. Just hours from now, the curtain goes up at the Democratic National Convention. President Obama is looking for the bounce that seemed to elude Republican nominee Mitt Romney.

Tonight, Democrats will kick off with some heavy hitters beginning with the rising star in the party, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro, will deliver the keynote address just as Obama did eight years ago.

And also speaking tonight, First Lady Michelle Obama. Her job, reach out to women voters of both parties.

CNN's Ed Lavandera has a closer look at Julian Castro, but first let's begin with Dana Bash and the big picture.

Dana, what are the main messages and priorities that the Democrats will be pushing tonight?

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Democratic officials say that their main priority is to remind people that this just isn't just about whether or not they should fire or hire again President Obama. It's that it's going to be a choice. And this is really if you talk to any strategist of any party, this is kind of the way you run an incumbent's re-election campaign.

That it is a choice between the president and Mitt Romney. So they're going to try to what they say is crystallize that choice between these two men. And they're also going to try to emphasize the fact that as President Obama has been doing for months that they believe that the Democratic Party is the party for the middle class. And also talk about, they say, the accomplishments that they feel that the president hasn't gotten enough credit for. Bailing out the auto industry. They believe the health care bill. They're going to talk about the most popular points of that, particularly banning -- no ban on pre-existing conditions and things like that.

So those are the kinds of themes that we're going to hear. And you mentioned the keynote speaker tonight, Julian Castro. He is going to be one to watch for sure. He's 37 years old. He's an identical twin. And his twin is going to introduce him. He is also a politician. So that is going to be kind of the opening salvo for this convention.

SAMBOLIN: And actually as we were watching the pictures there, Dana, Michelle Obama was front and center. How important is her role tonight?

BASH: Very important. You remember four years ago -- what a difference four years makes, right? She was somebody who they were a little bit worried about inside the Obama campaign because she might have come across as harsh, and they were trying to soften her image when she got to the Democratic convention. Not anymore. Not at all. She is incredibly popular. One of the most popular political figures in the country. So they are hoping that some of that kind of carries over to her husband, and that she can remind people why they want the Obamas back in White House for another four years.

SAMBOLIN: All right, Dana. I know you're working really hard for us and some really long hours. We really appreciate it.

Dana Bash live for us. Thank you.

So now let's return our focus to the man delivering tonight's keynote address. Julian Castro is the mayor of San Antonio, Texas, as Dana just told us. But his fans are already predicting future runs for governor, perhaps even president. And tonight he becomes the first Latino to deliver the convention's signature primetime address.

And he reflects the party's growing focus on the Hispanic vote. This year's DNC has a record number of Latino delegates as well.

Ed Lavandera is in Dallas with a much closer look at Julian Castro.

So what did you find out about him?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, he's an interesting guy here in Texas. So, you know, a lot of people have been paying close attention to -- paying close attention to him. Many people have been talking about that he could be the first Latino governor of Texas, perhaps even the first Latino president in the United States.

So he knows full well why he was picked to give this speech. In his words he says, I'm young, and I'm Hispanic.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR JULIAN CASTRO (D), SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS: Hey, everybody. I'm Julian Castro.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): First thing you need to know, it's pronounced Julian Castro. The J is silent. Not Julian. But even if you get the Spanish wrong, don't worry. San Antonio's Latino mayor has never mastered Espanol either.

CASTRO: I understand Spanish better than I speak it. I grew up in my household with my mother and my grandmother mostly speaking English. So I understand it, but speaking it back is always the challenge.

LAVANDERA: Julian Castro's grandmother immigrated to San Antonio from Mexico and worked as a community activist in San Antonio's Chicano Movement. From those humble beginnings, Julian Castro and his twin brother went on to Stanford University and Harvard Law School. Now he's a rising star in the Democratic Party, tapped to give the keynote speech at the Democratic convention. The same speech an unknown Barack Obama gave at the convention in 2004.

(On camera): You get talked about as someone who could be the first Hispanic governor of Texas. You know, some people even suggesting the first Hispanic president of the United States. Do you like that kind of talk? Can you handle that kind of pressure?

CASTRO: No, I'd be lying if I said that that's not flattering. Of course, it's flattering to anybody. But the biggest mistake that I could make or anybody could make in this situation is to believe the press. To believe the hype.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Castro was elected mayor in 2009 and then re-elected with 82 percent of the vote. Now he's 37. The youngest mayor of a top 50 city in the United States. He's also used to the baby face jokes.

(On camera): I think one of the funnier things that has happened to you when you first met President Obama, you jokingly asked if you were the intern.

(LAUGHTER)

CASTRO: That's right. Yes.

LAVANDERA: So you have been asked to do this speech, is that kind of making up for that jab?

(LAUGHTER)

CASTRO: No. I don't know, I don't know. But I accept -- you know, I always got the age jokes at different points in my career.

LAVANDERA: Is it still happening?

CASTRO: Every now and then. You know, but I'm starting to get the gray hair that I need from my 3-year-old daughter and from the politics.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): This the biggest speech of Castro's career. Latinos enjoyed prominent speaking roles at the Republican convention, and Castro must convince Latinos to stick with President Obama and turned out in big numbers.

(On camera): But there are a lot of Latino leaders out there who say that President Obama has not been a friend of the Latino community.

CASTRO: Under any score, immigration, education, health care, and any number of issues he has been a very effective advocate for the -- for the Latino community.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): He's in the midst of pushing for a small sales tax hike to fund free kindergarten programs for low-income children back in San Antonio. Castro enjoys a squeaky clean political image except for that 2005 San Antonio River Walk parade scandal. Castro was a city councilman and couldn't make it to the parade in time. So his twin brother jumped on a city council float instead.

Castro's political opponents said the brothers were trying to fool the massive crowd. Castro laughs it off now.

(On camera): How can we be sure that you're going to be the Castro brother giving the speech tonight?

CASTRO: Well, he says that he's a lot better looking than I am. So there you go. And the wedding ring is another good way.

LAVANDERA (voice-over): Actually, his brother, Joaquin Castro, will introduce his twin at the convention. You'll see the Castro brothers standing side-by-side.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LAVANDERA: And, Zoraida, I got a kick yesterday, I went onto the Web site of the San Antonio newspaper and they actually had -- for a city that knows these brothers so well, they actually had a series of pictures where you could try to pick which one was Joaquin and which one was Julian. So even in a city that knows these brothers so well and for so long, they're still playing those games.

SAMBOLIN: They're really tough to tell apart. I love the piece. How do they feel about all the pressure with the comparisons to Obama when he delivered that address?

LAVANDERA: Well, you know, I think he knows that at the end of the day it will be about substance. That he has to deliver on that front. And deliver just a broader message than just going after young Latinos. So he has to appeal on that level. But on a personal note for him, he was a little bit nervous. This will only be the second speech, I'm told, that he gives with -- using a teleprompter.

So he has finished the speech. It's prepared. So he says that he's got a little bit of nerves having to deal with that since it's only the second time that he's done it. So he thinks that after he gets the first few lines, if everything goes well, he'll be able to settle in. But he is frankly a little nervous about that.

SAMBOLIN: Well, I don't blame him. He has an impressive resume, but a huge audience.

Ed Lavandera, we really appreciate that. That was a great piece. Thank you.

LAVANDERA: You bet.

SAMBOLIN: And CNN's primetime coverage of the Democratic National Convention kicks off tonight. That is at 7:00 Eastern. Join Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper, and the rest of CNN's political team as they set the stage for tonight's speakers.

And just as Obama campaigned during the Republican National Convention, the GOP ticket is returning the favor. Vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan is stumping in two battleground states. He visits Westlake, Ohio, at lunchtime. Then travels on to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Both states could prove critical in the election.

Ryan started the day by making the rounds on the network's morning shows and mocking the president's handling of the economy and the bailouts.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. PAUL RYAN (R), VICE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: If you take a look at the president's policies, he calls them investments. It's borrowing money and spending money from Washington, picking winners and losers, spending money on favorite, you know, people like Solyndra or Fisker, picking winners and losers in the economy through spending, through tax breaks, through regulations does not work.

If that kind of economics worked, we would be entering a golden age along with Greece. That doesn't work. So I think the incomplete speaks for itself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAMBOLIN: Ryan's running mate is off the campaign trail today. Mitt Romney is spending most of this week in Vermont preparing for the upcoming presidential debates.

The controversial book detailing the Special Forces mission that ended with the death of Osama bin Laden is now available. That is called "No Easy Day." It's a first-hand account of the mission and was officially released this morning.

The book, which is at the top of Amazon's bestseller list, was written by a former Navy SEAL under the pen name Mark Owen.

Barbara Starr joins us live from the Pentagon.

And, Barbara, this is a very popular book. Highly controversial. How is the Pentagon reacting?

BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's another day. You know, when I walked into work here at our CNN booth in the Pentagon, a top official looked at me said another day covering the Navy SEAL book? I said you bet.

It is number one on Amazon and so it's getting a lot of attention. The Pentagon knows that. They had put the marker on the table last week that they might consider legal action against the author and the publisher. And so now everybody is waiting to see what the Pentagon's next step is. Will the government decide to go after the author, Matt Bissonnette, that's his real name, for breaking his nondisclosure agreement that he signed when he was on military duty? Basically promising to put any book that potentially contained classified information through security review.

But still, now it's available today. Everybody can go on Amazon, go to their neighborhood bookstore, go to the mall, buy a copy and read it for themselves if they choose to. It's been a pretty good marketing plan, Zoraida, hasn't it? You know? A lot of attention.

SAMBOLIN: Absolutely.

STARR: A lot of hype, and now it's number one.

SAMBOLIN: And -- but that is the point here. It's been marketed for a very long time and you would think that they were going to take legal action that they would have down it before the book was released.

STARR: Well, you know, what had happened was it was only in those last few days before the letter was written last week, that the Pentagon says it had any idea the book was even in the works. They didn't even know this guy was writing a book, they say. So they had to first get a pre-prepublication copy in their hands, have the lawyers look at it, decide what they wanted to do, and we're waiting to hear what their final word is.

SAMBOLIN: Well, there are other former special ops members that released an e-book, called they're reaction to Mark Bisonnette's account, it's called "No Easy Op." it was released yesterday by a Web site run by former commandos. And according to "The New York Times," this e-book details bad blood between Mark Bissonnette and his former unit.

What can you tell us about this?

STARR: Well, the first thing is, this e-book also for sale. So let's be very clear. Another route for someone to be making money off of this. I think that's really important to say. We looked at that e-book. None of it has got named sources in it. There are a lot of suggestions. A lot of speculation that Matt Bissonnette may have had a grudge. His co-author has put out a statement saying that he only wrote the book because he wanted to tell the true story. So this e- book still also getting attention, earning somebody a lot of money, but no sourcing really behind it at this point.

SAMBOLIN: Well, Barbara, I am going to predict that tomorrow morning, you will still be having this same conversation when you walk in. Barbara Starr --

STARR: As long as you're here, Zoraida.

SAMBOLIN: Yes.

(LAUGHTER)

STARR: For me to talk to.

SAMBOLIN: Thank you. We appreciate that. Thank you.

It is Prince Harry's first public appearance since his, shall we say, indiscretions in Las Vegas. We're going to hear what he said about that coming up next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAMBOLIN: It is 16 minutes past the hour.

And we're checking our top stories. The Pearl River between Mississippi and Louisiana is projected to crest today. The effects of hurricane Isaac still causing trouble nearly a week after landfall. New thunderstorm forecasts for today could add more water to this already grim situation there. Nearly 100,000 people along the Gulf Coast still do not have power, and there are scorching temperatures there as well.

In money news, Chrysler is reporting the best August sales in five years. The automaker says sales increased 14 percent over last year's numbers. It's the 29th consecutive month of sales gains.

And Prince Harry is in the news again, but this time for poking fun at his Vegas antics. The prince was trying to do a little damage control at the WellChild Awards in London yesterday.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRINCE HARRY, ENGLAND: All of you, children, families, nurses, doctors, careers, volunteers are quite frankly too remarkable for me adequately describe with mere words. But never one to be shy in coming forward, I'll give it a go.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAMBOLIN: Prince Harry seemed to be referring to his less than fully clothed escapades in Las Vegas last month.

The Democrats have just released their party platform, which convention delegates will adopt later today in Charlotte. The 40-page platform uses new language in support of its big issues.

So, let's bring in our Paul Steinhauser to look at those stances and compare them with the Republicans.

So, we're going to begin with abortion. This is what the platform says, Paul. "Abortion is an intensely personal decision between a woman, her family, her doctor, and her clergy; there is no place for politicians or government to get in the way."

A little bit different than the GOP's stance, Paul.

PAUL STEINHAUSER, CNN POLITICAL EDITOR: Very different. And the Democratic platform also supports Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion back in the 1970s. And you're right, Zoraida, the Republican platform that was passed last week in Tampa at the Republican convention is very different. In fact, on abortion, the Republican platform bans abortion in all cases, even rape and incest, and when the life is the mother is in danger.

So a very clear difference in abortion on this platform, which will be passed, voted on and accepted right behind at 5:00 Eastern when this convention gets underway, Zoraida.

SAMBOLIN: All right. And here's what the platform says about the freedom to marry. "We support marriage equality and support the movement to secure equal treatment under law for same-sex couples."

And it goes on to talk about the freedom of churches as well, right? What can you tell us about that?

STEINHAUSER: It sure does. It gives churches the freedom to make their own rules when it comes to same-sex marriage. The Republican platform is very, very different on this issue. The Republican platform affirms the rights of states and the federal government not to recognize same-sex marriage, and it backs a constitutional amendment defining marriage as a union between one man and one woman. So, again, on another important social issue, very, very stark differences -- Zoraida.

SAMBOLIN: And here we have another issue that's really. It's health care. It says, "We believe accessible, affordable, high quality health care is part of the American promise, that Americans should have the security that comes with good health care and that no one should go broke because they get sick."

Paul, a shot across the bow to Obamacare critics.

STEINHAUSER: Very much so. And the platform also says it wants to build on the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, and take it even further. Whereas the Republican platform says that the Republican president, if elected in November, first thing that Republican president should do on his first day in office would be to use his presidential waiver to halt the progress of the states in carrying out Obamacare. Again, a very, very big difference.

We've heard a lot about health care, of course, in the campaign trail.

And another issues as well, immigration and Medicare -- very, very different platform. So, a very stark contrast between what we're seeing today here in Charlotte and what we saw last week in Tampa -- Zoraida.

SAMBOLIN: Hey, Paul, will you stick around and come back at 10:00 and talk about those some of the other platforms as well?

STEINHAUSER: I'm here for you.

SAMBOLIN: OK. Thank you, Paul. We appreciate it.

One state seems to be dominating job growth, but not all jobs are created equal. We'll tell you where you can find the hot jobs.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAMBOLIN: Welcome back. Twenty-four minutes past the hour.

When it comes to disappearing jobs, those that pay middle income wages are winning the race and they are being replaced with jobs that pay low income wages. That is according to a new report from the National Employment Law Project.

But where you live also comes into play when you are looking for a better paying job. Felicia Taylor is live at the New York Stock Exchange with more on where the jobs are, Felecia.

FELICIA TAYLOR, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Zoraida. This is exactly what the question is for most people. Where can they find a job? And this is part of the CNN Money and "Money" magazine's best places to live series where they found 25 counties around the country that have rapid job growth. And yes, I said rapid job growth.

So here are the top three. Beginning with Williamson County, Texas. That's the third spot, just north of Austin. "Money" magazine says because it has a favorable tax structure, the county is attracting and actually bringing businesses into the area. So, those are sort of willing to pick up and move. They are inciting them to do so.

Number two, we've got Fort Bend County. That's also in Texas, in the Houston metro area. It too has a favorable tax structure. Fort Bend also has a lot of energy sector jobs. So, that's fuelling the job growth there. No pun intended.

Also then, in the number one place for job growth. We've got Loudoun County, Virginia. That's just outside of Washington, D.C. Loudoun has become a huge hub for tech sector jobs. AOL and Verizon are two major employers there, and it's now being called Data Center Alley. That's because over 4 million square feet of data storage facilities are operating in the county.

You can see all 25 job growing cities as CNNMoney.com -- Zoraida.

SAMBOLIN: Felicia, I think I'm going to say that I'm moving to Texas here. This is incredible. They have a foothold on the list, seven of the top 10. Why is it that Texas seems to be such a hotbed for growth?

TAYLOR: Well, you know, it's all because of taxes. And that's a big burden for businesses because it's a major responsibility. Texas is one of just seven states with no state income tax. Obviously, that's good news. The Tax Foundation ranks it number nine on its state business climate index.

Number one on that list, though, is Wyoming.

So what's the major difference between the two states? It's just that Texas has a lot more people, a lot more urban areas. It makes it more attractive for business. And frankly, for people as well, because that means more likely they are going to see better school systems and a thriving metropolitan area just makes it an easier sell for business, because there's more people who are going to buy their products. Very simple.

SAMBOLIN: Yes. I think they have one of the top cities as well.

Well, I hear they have one of the top cities to live in too. I'll join you there.

So, Felicia Taylor, live from the New York Stock Exchange -- thank you for that.

And with all eyes on Charlotte and the Democrats this week, what's the GOP up to? We're going to hear from the RNC about their strategy. That's ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAMBOLIN: Good morning to you. I'm Zoraida Sambolin.

Stories we're watching right now in THE NEWSROOM:

The opening bell rang just seconds ago. This morning, U.S. stocks are poised for a lower open as investors sift through reports on manufacturing numbers, construction spending, and auto sales.

New evidence today of the growing humanitarian crisis in Syria. The U.N. says more than 103,000 Syrians left the country in August. Almost double the number of refugees from the past 17 months combined. Despite pleas from relief agencies for a cease-fire to deliver aid, fighting between rebels and regime forces has intensified.

And Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrives in Beijing today, trying to prevent the U.S. from being drawn into a regional conflict. China is involved in a tense standoff with Japan over disputed islands in the South China Sea. While Clinton has said that the U.S. does not take a position on the issue, Beijing blames her for adding to those tensions.

President Obama loves basketball, and he is using an NBA analogy as an election strategy. "The New York Post" reports on this conversation inside the Obama campaign's huddle.

No matter what moves Mr. Romney made, the president said he and his team were going to cut him off and block him at every turn. We're the Miami Heat and he is Jeremy Lin the president said. The president was referring to a game in February when the Heat shut down the young point guard.

And there's a bit of irony, as Democrats kick off their national convention, it's in Charlotte, North Carolina, NASCAR country. The sport has strong ties to Republicans. But North Carolina is a key swing state in this election.

And President Obama is slipping among NASCAR's biggest fan base, the white male voter.

We get our report this morning from Brianna Keilar.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Charlotte, North Carolina, home to the NASCAR Hall of Fame, this is the epicenter for the hard-driving, engine-revving sport.

While NASCAR consists of a whole lot of left turns, the typical NASCAR voter steers to the right.

Winston Kelly is the head of the Hall of Fame and a NASCAR radio commentator.

(on camera): This might not always be the most supportive group for him.

WINSTON KELLY, NASCAR HALL OF FAME: Well, NASCAR has traditionally as you said been a little bit more Republican. But North Carolina is very much a swing state.

KEILAR: So who is your driver?

STEPHEN ELLIOTT, VOTER: Probably Dale Jr.

KEILAR (voice-over): Stephen Elliott just happens to be visiting from Atlanta during convention week.

ELLIOTT: I'm kind of a little disappointed. He came in with a big fanfare and with a lot of hope and promise. And I don't think he fulfilled a lot of those hopes and dreams that he was talking about. So, I think he let a lot of people down.

KEILAR: But the Obama campaign isn't banking on voters like Elliott. They have long been considered out of reach for the Democratic Party. And in the last four years, he's lost even more ground.

RON BROWNSTEIN, CNN SENIOR POLITICAL ANALYST: The president is facing significant decline, especially with those blue-collar white men. They have been the toughest audience for him right from the outset. But the numbers are getting really bad, possibly the lowest we have seen for any Democratic nominee in possibly 40 years.

KEILAR: Exit polls from 2008 show 57 percent of white males voted for John McCain, 41 percent for Obama. The latest numbers for this summer show the president has slipped 8 percentage points more with this group, and that means President Obama has to increasingly rely on voter who tend to be in his corner -- Hispanic, black and young voters, and especially women.

VIETA BENSON, VOTER: It's almost impossible for them to make a change in four years. So, I think the next four years, why not give him another chance to see what he can do for the middle class?

PHYLLIS PERRY, VOTER: I voted for President Obama, and I will vote for him again, because I don't think that he's had enough time to correct the damage done by the Republican Party. So I just feel that he needs the time.

KEILAR: This coalition of voters holds the key to victory for President Obama, if he can persuade them to turn out in big numbers, and he sure is trying.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I'm counting on you. I'm counting on you. I'm counting on you.

If you're not registered to vote, then you have got to go to gottaregister.com.

That's the big challenge, even with NASCAR voters who will overwhelmingly support Mitt Romney.

(on camera): NASCAR enthusiasts are more concerned about who wins the election in November or who is going to win the Cup?

KELLY: Who wins the Sprint Cup, no question about it.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

SAMBOLIN: All right. So Brianna Keilar is joining me on the phone from Charlotte. And President Obama still has an uphill battle in NASCAR country, Brianna.

Last month, Mitt Romney was in Charlotte for a fundraiser. It was hosted by some of the biggest NASCAR team owners, drives, track operators, and executive team of the sport's governing body. So, he's got a lot of work ahead.

KEILAR (via telephone): Yes, he does have a lot of work ahead. And this is not a demographic that President Obama normally has a lot of success with. I will say that the NASCAR vote is not monolithic. There are a lot of women who are NASCAR fans.

While I was at the hall of fame, I ran into a delegate from Washington state. Who is a giant Jeff Gordon fan. But obviously, very much supporting President Obama.

You know, Mitt Romney got a lot of flak, including from some of the president's friends, for one of the comments he said about that fundraiser. He said that he had some friends who are NASCAR team owners, which obviously they used to try to make him look kind of out of touch.

But the thing is, a lot of NASCAR fans, they don't -- they identify actually with the team owners. There's such a sense of, oh, this is the guy running the team or this is the guy owning the team. And they are not actually that turned off by that. Even though I think some other voters obviously might be.

SAMBOLIN: No. They would actually probably think that's a good thing.

KEILAR: Yes.

SAMBOLIN: So NASCAR's long been a stop for a lot of those in politics. Michelle Obama, Joe Biden were grand marshals for a race as well.

KEILAR: That's right. Actually, they have done a lot of work with the troops, as you know. This has been an important cause near and dear to Michelle Obama and Joe Biden. And they were at the last race of the season. Last year, which is in Miami.

And some of the fans did not have a great reception. And this happened obviously as you know at some events they were booed by some fans. This is, again, not really the Democratic demographic. But certainly it's something that President Obama really needs to try to kind of contain what he can out of this group.

And I will say, Zoraida, there are some interesting parallels here between NASCAR and politics. The season for NASCAR also a very long season wraps up in November. And as I just mentioned, the last race of the season is in Florida. That sometimes can decide it all. As we know in politics as well, it's a key battleground state.

SAMBOLIN: Hey, and I can't let you go without asking you if you drove any cars, because you were surrounded by all these fabulous cars. Did they let you get behind the wheel?

KEILAR: No. I didn't get to. I have actually driven in some cars before because I'm a pretty big race fan. I'm a Jeff Gordon fan. But no, not this time. This time I just got a look at all the different cars throughout the years.

SAMBOLIN: Did you say that you are a Jeff Gordon fan?

KEILAR: Yes. I own a Jeff Gordon fire suit that he wore in a race. I'm a big NASCAR fan.

SAMBOLIN: Listen, do you have a TV in front of you right now?

KEILAR: No.

SAMBOLIMN: I'm going to paint a picture for you, Brianna. That is me behind the real of a car with Jeff Gordon. He was riding me around, and then a got a chance to drive him around. So a little reporter envy for you there?

KEILAR: Yes. Did you -- I'm so jealous. Did you -- how did you on do? What did you think?

SAMBOLIN: He said I did a great job. But I have to tell you my car petered out. I had not driven a stick shift in a while. So I had just one of those moments. But it was a great, great time.

That's a really fun piece. We appreciate it. And I love the analogy. It makes sense.

Brianna Keilar, live for us, thank you.

KEILAR: Thank you, Zoraida.

SAMBOLIN: Appreciate it.

CNN's primetime coverage of the Democratic National Convention kicks off tonight at 7:00 Eastern.

Join Wolf Blitzer, Anderson Cooper and the rest of CNN's political team as they set the stage for tonight's speakers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAMBOLIN: Welcome back. It is 41 minutes past the hour.

With all eyes on the Democrats this week, the Republicans are not missing a step. They have set up a war room in downtown Charlotte, just outside the security perimeter, that surrounds the Democratic National Convention.

And yesterday, they launched a counter offensive.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REINCE PRIEBUS, CHAIRMAN, RNC: Every president since the Great Depression who ran for re-election has been able to say, you are better off than you were four years ago -- except, of course, Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAMBOLIN: Joining me now from Charlotte is RNC communications director Sean Spicer.

And, Sean, the RNC has its own right there in Charlotte during the Democratic National Convention. What can we expect?

SEAN SPICER, RNC COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR: Well, our goal over the next few days is to remind Americans that four years ago, this president said that we were going to measure progress by the number of Americans that had jobs and that were able to pay the mortgage. There are 23 million Americans still unemployed. Americans are not better of than they were -- which is the fundamental question for any incumbent.

And so we want to make sure that people know that Barack Obama hasn't fulfilled the promises that he laid out. He hasn't fulfilled his agenda. Americans aren't better off. Most costs are up -- energy costs, health care costs, college costs.

And that Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have a plan to get the economy moving. That will be their laser focus, day one. And get people back to work that need to be.

SAMBOLIN: OK. So let's look into last week. The latest polls show Mitt Romney did not get the anticipated bounce in the polls from last week's RNC.

A Gallup poll that we're talking about. Are you concerned about that?

SPICER: Not at all. I think it depends on, you know, who's looking at the poll. What we look at in that Gallup poll is the likability, the intensity. When you ask voters how committed are you to going out and voting for Mitt Romney on a scale of one to 10, we see a lot of 9s, 10s, 8s.

When you ask the same question the Obama team, you're seeing a lot lower numbers, 6s and 5s. Meaning, our voters, the independents, the Democrats that have come over to Mitt Romney to support him are committed to getting out there looking for change, because they feel like they have been let down by this president.

So I actually, in terms of people coming over to our side, we got everything we wanted in that convention.

SAMBOLIN: Well, but last week's convention seems to have had little impact on swaying those voters. Mitt Romney's speech received the lowest ratings, 16 percent of Americans rated the speech as poor or terrible. Thirty-eight percent rated as excellent or good. But that is the lowest rating of any of the eight speeches Gallup has tracked since 1996.

How big of a concern is this when it comes to winning votes which is 63 days left until Election Day?

SPICER: Well, look, I think women voters by and large if you look at how we're doing historically, McCain, Bush '04, we are doing very, very well especially in the battleground states. What you heard last week was a focus on the economy, was a focus on getting people back to work and taking costs down.

I don't think -- I think it's sort of a misnomer to say, oh, women voters have a separate set of issues. Women voters are probably more than male voters are concerned about the economy. They are worried about taking care of their families, they're worried about putting money away for college, paying their bills today, saving up for soccer or baseball camp.

So to somehow say that well women voters don't care about the economy and jobs, moving debt onto their -- that it's going to get passed on to their kids is somewhat ridiculous. Mitt Romney has got a plan that deals with education, making us energy independent, championing small businesses, opening up new markets.

Those are things that I think every parent wants to see looking out for their family and their children that tomorrow we are better than today. And the next generation will be as good or better than we have now which is not the feeling that is in American right now.

SAMBOLIN: Yes I wasn't talking about the women voters there. I was talking about voters in general.

But let's talk about Paul Ryan here. He seems to be mixing up some of his facts, including last week's reference to the GM plant that shut down after Obama was elected. A decision that was made before Barack Obama took office. And even recalling his own marathon time incorrectly. He was off by an hour apparently there.

Do you see these as ongoing problems for the campaign moving forward?

SPICER: No, in fact the GM plant was a mistake by -- I mean, the Dems mistakenly attacked us. I'm glad to talk about that, Paul Ryan said that it close in 2008 or that President Obama said when he was elected, he was going to keep it up. It closed. The President then wrote a letter saying that he's going to do everything he can to get that plant back online. It is in fact still on standby mode and closed.

So Paul Ryan was 100 percent right. And in fact, what that highlight is that the President who was then a candidate in 2008 said that plants like this would stay open with government help was wrong. Then once elected, he said I'm going to do everything in my power as President to keep it open. He failed on that as well.

Paul Ryan is 100 percent right and what it does is that that example highlights another failed promise by the President. So I think that's something that comes back as more of a problem for the Dems than it does for us.

SAMBOLIN: I know -- I know that Paul Ryan went back and said that he had to re-explain exactly what he meant. That people -- that he didn't misspeak, but he had to explain what he meant when he originally made his accusations.

RNC communications director, Sean Spicer, thank you for joining us this morning. We appreciate it.

SPICER: Thank you. SAMBOLIN: It is 46 minutes past the hour.

How can a movie create controversy before the Democratic National Convention starts?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's drugs; there's gangs.

(inaudible)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You really think you can turn this around?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I can't say for certain.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 100 percent yes.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm trying to explain to you why your kid is sinking.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sell it to some other jerk.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAMBOLIN: This movie about the fight for education is ruffling a lot of feathers in Charlotte. We're going to explain why.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAMBOLIN: Welcome back.

Hollywood and politics mix all the time. Just take the RNC. At the same venue where Clint Eastwood made a memorable appearance, delegates got a sneak peek at a new film about the fight on education. It is called "Won't Back Down".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I punished her because she does not follow rules.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you insane?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm going to get you out of there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are taking back our schools. Go out there and fight for something better.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You have to find a teacher who has the same ideas you do.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're going to try something new.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We're going to work a little harder. Me included.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You want to take over the school with me?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You think that's dumb.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think it's a knockout.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There's drugs, there's gangs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SAMBOLIN: This film is raising some eyebrows at the Democratic National Convention. Nischelle Turner joins me from Los Angeles to explain why. Where is the controversy?

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN SHOWBIZ CORRESPONDENT: Well, there is definitely controversy Zoraida. Now the movie stars Maggie Gyllenhaal as a single mother, Viola Davis as a teacher. And the two of them team up to turn around a failing public school. It's a Hollywood film that's inspired by true events.

So you might ask what's all this fuss about? Well, it's about the push for school choice and it touches on the controversial Parent Trigger Law. That law allows parents to potentially take control of a school, fire teachers and start from scratch.

Now this is also a film about teacher unions which don't come off looking very good, actually. And then generally speaking, the unions aren't prone to backing Parent Trigger Laws. And the teachers' unions are one of the Democratic Parties' biggest and most loyal sources of political contributions but parent triggers are now getting growing support among high-profile Democrats. So that's where the kind of stir comes in.

Specifically also from Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, he's a former organizer with United Teachers. Now he also happens to be Chairman of the Democratic Convention this year.

So right now, this movie is playing for delegates at the convention, and it's highlighting a big divide among Democrats when it comes to education reform.

So that's where the controversy comes in.

SAMBOLIN: All right. Nischelle Turner, thank you.

Nischelle will be back with us next hour with more "Showbiz Headlines" including why actor Cal Penn is in Charlotte to help his former boss.

Well the wait is finally over. Kelly Ripa introduced former NFL star Michael Strahan as her new co-host today. Worst-kept secret ever. He replaces Regis Philbin who left the ABC Show live in November. Other front runners included Neil Patrick Harris, "Saturday Night Live" Seth Myers and Josh Groban.

And coming up in the next hour of NEWSROOM, organic foods -- they definitely cost more, right? But are they better for you? The answer in 20 minutes.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

SAMBOLIN: In sports, the New York Yankees held a ten-game lead in the AL East earlier this season. Now it's almost gone. Tampa Bay's Chris Jimenez hit a game-winning single in the eighth inning as Rays beat the Yanks, 4-3. Tampa Bay trails New York by two and a half games.

The Baltimore Orioles are even closer. Joe Saunders and three other pitchers allowed just three hits as the Birds down (inaudible) 4-0. Baltimore is a game back of first.

Tiger Woods finished third in the Deutsche Bank championship yesterday, pocketing over a half million dollars. That check put Woods over the $100 million mark for PGA career earnings. Woods notes that Sam Sneed won more tournaments than he has, but he has gotten a bigger payout with modern purses.

Olympic gold medalist Andy Murray moves on in the U.S. Open. Murray beat the young hard-serving Canadian Milos Raonic last night. The three set victory pushed Murray into the quarterfinals of a major tournament for the eighth straight time. Murray has yet to win a major.

Three members of Team USA's gold medal winning women's gymnastics team took in the Dodgers last night, this is more than (inaudible). Kyla Ross, McKayla Maroney and Gabby Douglas threw out the ceremonial first pitcher. In this case, pitches. Looks like they had a good time doing that. And that's a look at sports.

The next hour of CNN NEWSROOM begins after a short break.

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