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Bush Tax Cut Debate; Bob Woodward's New Book; Volcanic Eruption in Nicaragua; Imminent Teachers Strike in Chicago; Syria Violence Continues; Congress Resumes

Aired September 09, 2012 - 16:00   ET

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

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. Thanks for joining us. I'm Fredricka Whitfield.

Students at the third largest public school system in the country may not be able to go to school tomorrow. Chicago teachers are threatening to go on strike in the morning if the school system doesn't agree to better pay and improved work conditions. The walk out would affect 400,000 students at 700 schools and involves 29,000 unionized teachers. Let's go live now to CNN's Ted Rowlands who is outside one of the schools that could be closed tomorrow. So Ted, how are negotiations going? Are parents optimistic their kids will be in classes tomorrow?

TED ROWLANDS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I think everybody is cautiously optimistic, Fred, or at least keeping their fingers crossed. However, everybody has to come up with a plan B because there isn't an agreement as of yet. They are negotiating at this hour. And they are pledging to negotiate into the evening if necessary. But parents have been put on notice. There have been calls made to parents, robo calls and also e-mails to parents informing them of the schools that will be open so that they can drop their kids off.

144 schools will be open. No teachers will be there obviously. They'll be outside picketing, inside will be nonunion members, staff members from the district just basically baby sitting the kids. They've got some crayons and stuff like that out for them. They want to keep them off the street. That is one of the big concerns a lot of people have is the fact that these kids will be out on the streets and some of the streets in Chicago, as you know, aren't that very safe.

It's been a horrible summer with the homicide rate up 30 percent. We talked to one parent who said she is absolutely concerned about kids out on the street when they should be in school. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHATARA SCAGGS, CONCERNED PARENT: If the kids are not in school they are out getting into some kind of trouble or getting into something other than being in school when they should be in school learning other than being out being destructive.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROWLANDS: And again, Fred, they are at it at this hour and they are hoping to come to an agreement. But if they don't by midnight the strike will be on.

WHITFIELD: And so what are the sticking points? What needs to be nailed down at a minimum in order to make both sides sort of happy?

ROWLANDS: Well, the issues that are still outstanding include salary, as you might imagine. The district was offering a two percent raise for the next four years, the teachers wanted more. And we don't know where that sits now. We do know that the district has come up with another offer. However they haven't made that public. So that's one of the issues.

Another one is for teachers to retain their jobs, veteran teachers to retain their jobs in the event of a school closure or a consolidation. One thing that was on the table appears to be off the table now is a merit based system of pay that the district wanted to institute and the teachers were dead set against that.

WHITFIELD:. All right. Ted Rowlands in Chicago. Keep us posted. Thanks so much.

ROWLANDS: All right. Florida is a big political prize in the race for the White House with 29 electoral votes up for grabs. And this weekend President Obama is going on the offensive to widen his lead in that key battleground state. He is speaking this hour in West Palm Beach and CNN's chief White House correspondent Jessica Yellin is traveling with the president. She's there now.

So Jessica, the president spoke to voters in Melbourne, Florida, earlier today with a message directly aimed at senior voters. What did he say exactly?

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN CHIEF WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Hey, Fred. He made the case that the Romney-Ryan budget would significantly increase the cost of Medicare for both current and future seniors if it is enacted. He made the new case today on that front. Here is some of what he said. Listen to him.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We use part of those savings to help lower the cost of prescription drugs and offer free preventive care to seniors. I thought that was a good idea. For some reason my opponents think it is a bad idea so they want to give the money back to the insurance companies and then put them in charge of Medicare.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

YELLIN: OK. Well, in that byte he was actually defending why his own program, Obamacare, cuts some of the cost of Medicare and redirects the money which has been an attack lodged that has been launched against him by the Romney-Ryan campaign. He also today though opened a new front against his opponents saying that they are going to increase the cost of Medicare for current and future seniors citing a study by a Harvard professor and they have sent out a lot of information about it. You are going to be hearing a lot about it in the upcoming weeks.

But Fred, I should point out this is a study that was conducted by a guy who is a Harvard professor, he is also somebody who used to be an Obama campaign official himself. Fred.

WHITFIELD: And so Jessica, you know, everyone knows, you know, Florida is a very important pivotal state. It's been a very tight race between these two candidates particularly now in Florida. So how tight is it? Does the president feel, you know, any confidence by having a few points lead?

YELLIN: Well, the most current polls show them essentially tied because there is a statistical dead heat, meaning they are essentially tied in the state. So no, campaign officials consider this is a neck and neck race here. The electoral votes would be a boom to either candidate because if the president wins here it would almost put the White House out of reach for Mitt Romney. It would make it a very, very hard win for him, not impossible but difficult. So the president will be spending a ton of time in this state trying to nab it. Mitt Romney will be here a ton, as well. They will be going after seniors, Latinos, young voters, all of whom live across the I-4 corridor, in the middle of the state. And that's exactly where the president's bus has been driving back and forth on this bus tour this weekend, Fred.

WHITFIELD: All right. Jessica Yellin, thanks so much. West Palm Beach, Florida, appreciate that. Keep us posted.

And of course, when the president talked later on this hour there to the audience in West Palm, we will be taking his comments live.

All right. Mitt Romney is spending today off the campaign trail at his home in Massachusetts. But during an interview on today's NBC "Meet the Press" he talked about his plans to balance the budget.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY (R), PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: I'll balance the budget by the end of my second term, doing it in my first term would cost I believe a dramatic impact on the economy, too dramatic for the steps I put in place. And we put together a plan that lays how we get to a balanced budget within eight to 10 years.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Romney returns to the campaign trail tomorrow with a rally in the battleground state of Ohio. And you can get an up close and personal look at the two vying for the White House. Tonight at 8:00 Eastern time, "Romney Revealed, Faith Family and The Road to Power" and then at 9:30 Eastern time, "Obama Revealed, The Man, the President," that's all tonight right here on CNN. All right. Iraq is reeling under a series of violent attacks today. Several car bombs rocked cities including Amara, Kirkuk and western Basra. And gun men attacked check points in Tikrit, Falluja and Abu Ghraib. At least 64 people are dead and 200 others wounded. Many of those killed were Iraqi soldiers. The U.N. special representative for Iraq is condemning these attacks. One of the bombs went of near the French consulate in (INAUDIBLE). Earlier CNN international spoke to Reuters Baghdad Bureau Chief Patrick Markey.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PATRICK MARKEY, BAGHDAD BUREAU CHIEF, REUTERS (ON THE PHONE): These kinds of attacks happen at least once a month now. It's just carrying out a coordinated attack on various cities once a month. This is certainly not the worst attack we've had this year even if the death toll is 70. We've had death tolls of more than 100 in one day.

As you point out, no one has claimed responsibility but even after the U.S. troops have left Iraq is still fighting various insurgent groups including a local wing of Al Qaeda and former member of Saddam Hussein's (INAUDIBLE) party. So certainly a dark day for Iraq but not the bloodiest we have seen this year.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Violence have been on the rise in Iraq in recent months. 325 people were killed in July. The deadliest month since August 2010.

All right. Now to Syria where there is no end to the deadly violence there.

According to the opposition government forces are dropping barrel bombs on civilian areas. They say the bombs are filled with TNT, nails and fuel. At least 117 people have been killed across the country today. Back in the U.S. Senator John McCain is blasting President Barack Obama for not doing enough to help Syrians.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN MCCAIN (R), ARIZONA: This administration has proudly said they lead from behind. WE sat still and watched this massacre go on now over 20,000 people and the United States of America - the president of the United States has not even said a word on behalf of these people who are being slaughtered. It's shameful.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What kind of leadership -

(CROSSTALK)

MCCAIN: Sure, the Turks, the people, everybody in the region are crying out for American leadership. We would lead. First, voice your moral support the way that Ronald Reagan did for the people behind the Iron Curtain. This president won't even do that. Second give them the weapons so it is a fair fight. Third, establish a sanctuary or a free zone where they can organize. Look, everything that we worried about if we intervened would happen - it happened because we didn't.

There is rise of Al Qaeda. There is a rise of extremism. There is now a greater threat of the use of chemical weapons. This president unbelievably announced - the only thing he said is that if Bashar al Assad uses chemical weapons that would cross the red line. Isn't he also telling Bashar al Assad that he can do anything up to that?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: Meanwhile, international envoy Laktar Bahimi (ph) is meeting in Cairo tomorrow with Arab League officials to discuss the crisis.

All right. Tuesday in this country, America will mark the attacks of 9/11.

One family is furious over the National Memorial. A mother says her son is a hero but he is not recognized with his fellow first responders.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: In the northeast people are cleaning up after severe weather barreled across the region this weekend. This is what Buffalo, New York woke up to, a powerful cold front brought heavy rain and high winds bringing down a lot of trees and tree limbs. A couple of tornadoes actually hit New York City. Thunderstorms also whipped through the Washington, D.C. area knocking out power for thousands of customers.

On Tuesday America will mark the attacks of 9/11. Lots of people will go to the National September 11th Memorial in lower Manhattan. But one thing they won't see in a list honoring first responders is the name of one Muslim-American. His family says his faith is the reason why.

Here's CNN's Susan Candiotti.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): When 9/11 terrorists attacked the world trade center firefighters and police were quick to respond. So is Mohammad Hamdani, a 23-year-old certified EMT who had worked as a police cadet. He skipped his job at a university research lab and rushed to the site.

TALAT HAMDANI, MOHAMMAD HAMDANI'S MOTHER: He was a prime example of what it is to be a human being and he went there to save humanity.

CANDIOTTI: And sacrificed his own life in the process. His family posted his photo among thousands of others on the Wall of the Missing. A Pakistani-American who grew up in New York and dreamed of becoming a doctor. The following March Hamdani's remains were found in 34 parts.

TALAT HAMDANI: They gave us his jeans and his belt which has been identified that they were his clothes. CANDIOTTI: A police funeral followed with full honors from fellow cadets, the mayor and police commissioner.

COMMISSIONER RAY KELLY, NEW YORK CITY POLICE: (INAUDIBLE) who responded that day. He was indeed a hero.

TALAT HAMDANI: It was a very healing moment. That was given in honor to me on the first anniversary honoring Salman as an NYPD cadet.

CANDIOTTI: An NYPD badge that reads cadet. But with all the accolades, all the honors for them the most important one is missing.

(on camera): When the 9/11 Memorial was unveiled, the family of Mohammad Hamdani wanted to see his name here among first responders who like him lost their lives trying to save others.

Instead his name is positioned over here in the section among those considered loosely connected to the World Trade Center.

(voice-over): Hamdani's mother is convinced his Muslim religion has set him apart.

TALAT HAMDANI: They are discriminating because of his faith and that is not right.

CANDIOTTI: She points to this flyer that circulated days after 9/11 sent to ambulance dispatchers among others. It has Hamdani's police cadet photo and reads has I.D. wanted. The NYPD disavows any knowledge of it and says Hamdani is a hero. The 9/11 Memorial Foundation and police deny discrimination saying Hamdani was no longer an active cadet and had not received a presidential medal for valor and therefore he did not meet the memorial's criteria of first responder.

TALAT HAMDANI: This is about my son. He is not here to speak for himself. I have to speak for him and I will until the day I die.

CANDIOTTI: She doesn't understand why no one will help.

TALAT HAMDANI: I want to see it in my lifetime. It's a very - so intense pain that is indescribable.

CANDIOTTI: Too painful to re-visit where her son's name remained apart from others who tried to save lives.

Susan Candiotti, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

WHITFIELD: A solar flare causes this, an incredible view of the sky. We'll tell you where this is and why it happened.

And if you have to go out today, just a reminder, you can continue watching CNN from your mobile phone. You can also watch CNN live from your laptop. Just go to cnn.com/tv.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. So imagine looking up in the sky and seeing this, for real. Oh my gosh, it happened just the other day. It is the result of something being called mind-bogglingly gorgeous. Our Josh Levs is here with the story behind this never before seen photo. It is pretty amazing. It almost looks so amazing that it's fake.

JOSH LEVS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, I know. This actually looks fake and we're going to lead to the brand new video that NASA gave. But let me give you the story behind this because this is an aurora but it begins - the story - this amazing image begins with the sun.

So let's go to the sun. Here's what this is. It all begins with a solar flare. So basically what we have here from NASA, this is so unusual to have a shot like that. Look at that. The sun basically pushed out this mass of plasma that is huge. And as you watch that, (INAUDIBLE) goes out, I want everyone to understand how massive it is. NASA tells me this is called a corona mass ejection, 30 times the width of earth. The sun is shooting it out there.

In fact, let's go to the next picture which has a scale. OK. It all leads to this. You go from that to this. Why is it that the sun shoots that out and then creates this? This is the reason. After that solar ejection goes flying through the sky what happens is it can take a few different paths. Sometimes it can take a few days. In this case it took three days before it got to the area earth is. And our earth can reject it, can push it back. And when the earth mixes with that solar flare what you get are those amazing colors.

WHITFIELD: Wow.

LEVS: Our magnetic field matches it. And this right here, brand new, NASA sent this to me.

WHITFIELD: Incredible images.

LEVS: Brand new. No one has seen these before. These are from NASA. And what we are seeing here is four different views of the sun having that moment when the solar flare happens. And the reason it is so important is people want to know, our scientists want to understand it because these can have a huge impact on earth. By the way, it is the "Register" in Britain that call this "mind-bogglingly gorgeous." I want to understand how important this is. So here is a little clip from a NASA scientist explaining how critical this is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEX YOUNG, NASA SCIENTIST: This is billions of tons of material moving at millions of miles an hour. And when those events are directed towards us they can impact the earth, they can cause aurora. They can cause technological disturbances, problems with power grids, communication. So fortunately we have this really amazing never before seen imagery that allows us to study these events in great detail.

(END VIDEO CLIP) LEVS: So thanks to Alex Young for that. And these pictures are from a photographer named David Cartier (ph) who was in - along the Ucahn River in Canada, happened to be up there, captured these pictures. And he tells me each shot is about five to 10 seconds worth of what he saw. So it really did look like this to me.

WHITFIELD: I was going to say it really did look like this by the naked eye, it is not that the result of his film or his digital imagery that it (INAUDIBLE) to these colors.

LEVS: I was wondering did you do something (INAUDIBLE) an hour to look at this. He said, no, the exposure was five to 10 seconds on each one. And when I talked to NASA about this they tell me this happens. It is so unusual to get to witness it. And the solar flares can get further into earth, can cause real problems. This one kind of grazed earth. Our magnetic field pushed back and in the process you get beautiful light and color all of which ends up right here. It's just absolutely stunning. And more information on social media and also on our light year's blog at CNN.com.

WHITFIELD: Excellent. Cool stuff. I like stuff.

LEVS: Yes, I love it.

WHITFIELD: All right. Very good. That is a nice mural on a wall, isn't?

Something else perhaps you didn't know, today is grandparents' day.

LEVS: It is.

WHITFIELD: Yes.

LEVS: Oh boy. I did not know that.

WHITFIELD: We all need reminders on that. For all you grand kids out there who might have trouble remembering to call your grandparents, the advocacy group for people over 50, AARP has put out this reminder. It's very catchy. You're going to like it.

LEVS: I love this song.

WHITFIELD: Carly Rae "Call Me Maybe."

LEVS: Yes, it's so awesome.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

LEVS: There were some Olympians that did this song. Cookie Monster had done this song. Everyone had to do it but for grandparents' day who better than these guys.

WHITFIELD: I know. (INAUDIBLE) very cute. So have your kids call their grandparents.

LEVS: Yes, you know, I'm going to go home after this and make sure they do tonight. We're calling you folks at home.

WHITFIELD: That's right. Grandma and grandpa expect a phone call today.

LEVS: ON the way.

WHITFIELD: All right. Well, after a five-week break Congress is back to work tomorrow. They have a ton of issues to tackle but considering the history of bipartisan bickering, will they get anything done?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Members of Congress are getting back to work tomorrow after a five-week recess. They have a big to-do list. But will they be able to get any of it done? Here is Athena Jones.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ATHENA JONES, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): As election season enters the home stretch lawmakers return to Capitol Hill this week facing big issues. But given their recent record of accomplishment or lack thereof, the question is whether any of it will get done.

JENNIFER DUFFY, THE COOK POLITICAL REPORT: Voters want to know when Congress will stop kicking the can down the road. I mean they're sort of out of road.

JONES: The only must have item is a short term measure to keep the government running and avoid the kind of costly shutdowns we saw twice in 1990s. It's expected to pass. Congress could also pass measures to help people hit hard by the drought and by Hurricane Isaac. But perhaps the biggest challenge the so-called fiscal cliff, a series of tax increases and spending cuts that experts warn taken together could plunge the economy back into recession.

JEANNE SAHADI, SENIOR WRITER, CNN MONEY: They will have about four weeks after the election to deal with some of the largest tax increases and spending cuts that the country has ever seen at one time.

JONES: $110 billion in cuts to everything from defense to education to food inspections next year alone, will take effect in January unless lawmakers reach agreement on reducing the deficit. One problem Republicans and Democrats disagree on the Bush tax cuts due to expire at the end of this year. Republicans want them extended for everyone.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. JOHN BARRASSO, (R) WYOMING: Americans know what works, low taxes, reasonable regulations and leaving within our means.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: Democrats led by President Obama is supporting extending them just for people making less than 200,000 a year.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: I don't believe and you don't believe in it. Another round of tax breaks for millionaires is going to break the jobs back to our shores and clean out deficit.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: Uncertainty about just what Congress will do is already weighing on the economy.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEANNE SAHODI, SR. WRITER, CNNMONEY: It will just be a great bumpy ride. Businesses are slower to hire. Government agencies are slower to give out contracts. So it is sort of creeping into the economy now and that will just get worse the longer Congress waits to deal with this.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

JONES: But wait is what Congress is almost certain to do.

WHITFIELD: Athena Jones joining us live now from Washington. So Athena, in addition to this perspective, a highly anticipated book that showcases the relationship or lack thereof between the president and Congress is out this week. You got your hands on a copy of Bob Woodward's the new book a bit early "The Price of Politics" taking center stage we understand in the book and the talk leading up to it being available is really what happened or didn't happen between House Speaker John Boehner and the president. Tell us more about what you read in that book.

JONES: That is right. There is a lot of interesting details in here. I have it right here especially around those negotiations. The end of July of 2011when the White House, President Obama and his staffers were working with congressional leadership including House Speaker John Boehner to try to get this debt ceiling raised.

I want to show you a quote from Treasury secretary Timothy Geithner, this was on the night of July 29th, and this was when a proposal was passed in the house, the Republican controlled house. It was John Boehner's proposal to raise the debt ceiling but do so in two steps. The quote from Timothy Geithner is you can't veto and you cannot be responsible for default. This is what he told President Obama when President Obama asked if he had to go along with this.

Woodward went on to write that anything had to be done to prevent what would have been a catastrophic default. Anything to preserve the global economy. He also writes that David Pluf which was top adviser, top liberal adviser of the president, said if he caves, if the president caves to Republicans on this issue it would have long lasting political repercussions and essentially would give Republicans the upper hand going forward and they would be able to come back to this over and over again and sort of force the president to go along with them. Really interesting behind the scenes stuff here. Of course the president never did have to worry about having to vetoing that because Republicans dropped their demand that this debt ceiling be raised in two parts. What the president was trying to avoid is having to have a big debt ceiling fight in the middle of this election year.

Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: Atena, a lot of these accounts, some of these actually eye witnessed by Bob Woodward when he had an opportunity to see some of this dialogue taking place or are a lot of his sources based on amenity?

JONES: Well it is interesting you bring that up. I mean, he did interview on the record the president, House speaker Boehner and also Senate Minority Mitch McConnell on the record and he also talked to more than 100 other people, he writes at the beginning of the book that it was hundreds of hours of recorded interviews, thousands of pages that he was able to compile this through. Some of these people had taken notes in these meeting. He wasn't there although wouldn't it be nice that the reporters get to be in the room. He cobbled this together after the fact.

And what is interesting maybe to the people who live outside of the Washington bubble is the conclusions he draws. He gives both speaker John Boehner and President Obama pretty tough marks on how they handled all of this saying that they basically kicked the can down the road as we know because now we are dealing with the fiscal cliff. He was particularly tough on the president saying that presidents worked their will or at least they should and that President Obama has not done that.

Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right. Athena Jones thanks so much for that peek inside those pages from Washington.

JONES: Thanks.

WHITFIELD: All right. Less than two months to go until Election Day and in a very tight race Barack Obama and Mitt Romney are making their final cases to the American voters. Susan Page is the Washington Bureau Chief for "USA Today." Good to see you Susan.

SUSAN PAGE, "USA TODAY." WASHINGTON BUREAU CHIEF, "USA TODAY:" Nice to see you Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: This weekend both candidates crisscrossing swing states in particular Florida and Virginia. But this morning on NBC's "Meet the Press" Republican nominee Mitt Romney was talking about health care among other things and no longer using the language he would repeal the president's plan but instead replace it. Let's listen to what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) MITT ROMNEY, (R) PRESIDENTAL CANDIDATE: I'm not getting rid of all of health care reform. Of course, there are a number of things that I like in health care reform that I'm going to put in place. One is to make sure that those with preexisting conditions can get coverage and two is to assure that the market place allows for individuals to have policies that cover their family upto whatever age they might like. I also want individuals to be able to buy health insurance on their own as opposed to only being able to get it on a tax advantage through their company.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: So Susan is Romney now confusing his supporters? He was pretty emphatic about repealing what he called Obama care.

PAGE: Well you know the tone is certainly different and I mean even during the primaries he talked about repeal and replace. But all the emphasis was on the repeal part. Now in a general election his convention is over he is now talking not to the core Republican voters but to independent votes who liked some of the provisions of the Affordable Care Act including the provision Fred, like the one with kids up to age 26 to stay on their parents' health care policies. That is another part of the law that Romney said today he would like to keep. So definitely as you head into this last stretch of a general election we are talking to different kinds of voters.

WHITFIELD: So I wonder wouldn't the Obama campaign seize on this and kind of run with it? Maybe even allowing to shape some of their you know campaign maybe while they stump over the next few days or weeks.

PAGE: You know I think that the Obama campaign is likely to seize on this as another example of in their words Mitt Romney trying to change positions, not being steadfast in the positions. That has been kind of a theme they struck from the start with him.

WHITFIELD: All right. Post conventions now you write in "USA Today" that the president did enjoy a bit of a bump post Democratic convention while Mitt Romney did not get much of a bump at all. But now that the conventions are over you know, the test is really for both these candidates to crystallize a vision, a path for the American voters. Does it seem as though both have hit the ground running from what we have seen in Virginia, in Florida as they are crisscrossing those states?

PAGE: You know there is nothing we hear more from voters than they want more details about what the candidates would do if they were elected. What would they do to create jobs? Everybody agrees that job creation is the top issue of the campaign. I'm not sure that either campaign is doing very much to flush that out though. Even in the conventions they talked generally about their different approach and different view of the role of government. But in terms of very specific plans I don't think we are hearing from either side this time.

WHITFIELD: OK. You mentioned independents. They are listening. They are watching. They are still undecided in many cases. But once those presidential debates come around it will be difficult for either one of these candidates to kind of dance around any topic. They will have to be very specific about their stance on certain issues. Is this the make or break for either of them on their way to the White House?

PAGE: You know the debates are the last big things to happen that can reshape opinions. But in fact we know from history that really the next two weeks may be the most critical time of this election. In the last 15 elections the candidates leading two weeks after the conventions ended won the White House. That is one reason both campaigns are looking so closely at this idea that President Obama has gotten a little bit of a bump maybe five or six points coming out of the Democratic Convention.

WHITFIELD: Wow, so the next two weeks are pivotal regardless of what is said or regardless of their positioning at the debates.

PAGE: You know the debates can be important if you make a gaff that can haunt you or if you make a really good impression the way Ronald Reagan did in 1980 it can make a difference. But historically we are in the crux of the most critical time of the campaign. That is why nobody is taking a day off these days.

WHITFIELD: All right. Susan Page of "USA Today." Thanks so much, appreciate that. The president still in Florida crisscrossing that state, he is in West Palm. You can see right there a large crowd turning out for him. He has yet to turn to the podium. But when he does we will be carrying that live. Susan thanks so much.

All right. Brenda Warner is stepping out of the shadow of her husband former, former, former NFL star Kurt Warner. We will talk to both of them about her role as a popular Christian speaker and author.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: All right. Live pictures right now, West Palm Beach still awaiting President Barack Obama's arrival there where he is stumping for more support in the swing state, all important states, of Florida. When he does we will be carrying his comments live.

All right. Kurt Warner -- you know his name mostly for football. But before that he stocked groceries after he was passed over in the NFL draft and then he managed to turn an opportunity in the arena football league into a Super Bowl championship and a place in the NFL Hall of Fame. Along the way Kurt relied on his faith and his wife, Brenda. Now Brenda is emerging as a dynamic Christian speaker and author in her own rite. Kurt and Brenda Warner join me now from Phoenix, Arizona. Good to see both of you.

BRENDA WARNER, WOMEN OF FAITH SPEAKER: Thank you.

KURT WARNER, HALL OF FAME NFL QUARTERBACK: Thank you very much.

WHITFIELD: All right. So how did this come to be? Kurt, I mean you were very comfortable with being on the main stage, but then somewhere along the way Brenda said or was convinced that you know what it is my turn? K. WARNER: Well you know, we felt like this was going to happen for a long time. I think it was put on hold because of my career and moving around and jumping from place to place like we did. She has an amazing testimony. She has been through a lot. We knew in some point in time she would have an opportunity to share that and to be able to impact people and it really just was until I retired where she felt now I have the time and the opportunity with Kurt having more time at home to step out and to do what she has always been called to do.

WHITFIELD: And so Brenda, what did you feel that you were called to do that you weren't?

B. WARNER: Well I always knew after I had been through so many trials and tough times in my life that I had a story to tell. As I told it to people and the crowds got bigger I realized that women really resonated with my story that they really wanted to learn what brought me through it. What was my strength and how did I do it? Because tough times happen to everybody no matter what you really believe in.

When I got the opportunity to share it the crowds like I say got bigger. But the feedback that I get it just helps people to think all right, I'm going to try a different way because my way is not working and I want to learn more about this god that she tells me about that gives her the strength.

WHITFIELD: What were those tough times that you felt that you really needed to project and share with people as opposed to keeping it private?

B. WARNER: Well, you know before I met Kurt I had already had a life. I served in the United States Marine Corps and I loved it. Life took a different road for me. My son was injured and it was a horrible accident that all of a sudden I needed to get a discharge from the Marine Corps and take care of him. We went down a different path that nobody would ever ask for. But as he fought for his life and I did all I could to be his mama we just struggled through things.

I also went through a divorce. So then I found myself being a divorced mother of two on food stamps. It is just not what I dreamed of when I was a young girl. But I finally met this man that loved my children more than I had ever dreamed of a man coming in my life and loving them like that. Then I received another call that my parents were both killed in a tornado. So I received calls that changed my life forever and I just want to share what brought me through them.

WHITFIELD: Along the way both of you have made this very much about your family experiences together. You have also helped to build homes for Habitat for Humanity. One project has been inspired or was really inspired by your son, Zachary. Kurt, explain that.

K. WARNER: Due to Zack's injury and his disabilities we have constantly struggled with what life was going to look like for him as he graduated from high school and moved on with the rest of his life. You know, as we got to that point in our lives we started to see that there was so much more he had to offer. In that process we began looking around to see what opportunities there were for him. Right now he is in an assisted living home. He is not close enough to us.

And that is really what it came down to is that we found a great place for him but it is not close enough. We came to realize there are lots of parents like us that are wondering what the next step is. We are in the process of building one home with the hopes of building more around the country called Treasure House to unlock the treasure of these young individuals with disabilities but have so much to offer. We are excited about the project. God has really stepped up along the way and a lot of things are happening very quickly. So we are excited about where the future could be and the possibilities of building Treasure House's all over the country.

WHITFIELD: So it seems as though this has been far more gratifying than either one of you could ever anticipated. Do I have that right Brenda?

B. WARNER: You have that so right. I never dreamed my life would look like this and now I am so grateful that it does.

WHITFIELD: All right. If I can just, I know you guys are involved in a lot of philanthropy and reaching out. But Kurt I want to take this opportunity you know, with the news going on with the New Orleans Saints or with at least some of the former players and current players at least one maybe playing today, you know, is your reaction that you have about the suspensions being lifted, about the whole bounty plan, do you have any overall feelings about how that has been handled overall about the NFL?

K. WARNER: I think the unfortunate thing is not many of us really know all the details. So we get to hear bits and pieces and you hear about the suspension so you kind of automatically assume there is certain evidence and then to hear that things were overturned which from what I understand it is not because a lack of evidence. There are lots of different things going on. For me I just wanted to play football. I don't really think about those things very often and allow the commissioner to do his job. Hopefully in the end justice will be served whatever that looks like. But I think we are all ready for that to move on. The season is starting today and maybe get back to football.

WHITFIELD: All right. Kurt and Brenda Warner thanks so much for your time and all the best. Thanks so much for continuing to inspire so many people who are moved by your life stories and your commitments to help others.

B. WARNER: Thank you.

K. WARNER: Thank you very much.

WHITFIELD: And you can read so much more about Kurt and Brenda's story on our "Belief Blog" at CNN.com/belief.

Four hundred families forced out of their homes, they had to get out of the way of a volcano erupting in Nicaragua.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) WHITFIELD: In France authorities are still looking for answers in an execution style killing of four people in the French Alps. The seven- year-old survivor of the massacre is out of a coma and her four-year- old sister is now back at her suburban London home. The children were the only survivors of the Wednesday killing. Prosecutors say the girls' parents plus a woman believed to be their grandmother and a female cyclist were all shot twice in the head. Police have not ruled out robbery as a motive.

In western Nicaragua more than 1,500 people had to evacuate their homes today when a volcano erupted. Officials say it shot gas and ash more than two miles into the sky. A government website said as many as 20,000 people may be affected.

A retired couple had their house foreclosed by a bank and even some of their possessions removed. The problem is they owned the house outright and never had a mortgage. We'll explain how it happened.

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WHITFIELD: All right. Still campaigning, President Barack Obama campaigning through the swing state of Florida. You are looking at Debbie right now who is doing intro momentarily of the president will be emerging there. This is West Palm Beach, Florida. He spent two days on a bus tour of Florida. He is hoping to clench more votes there in the all important swing state and of course really try to secure some of those independent undecided voters, as well. We will take his comments live as they happen.

All right. Imagine this happening to you. Your home has been cleared of its possessions and locked down by a bank because you are in foreclosure but guess what, you own the house outright. You don't have a mortgage. This actually happened to a retired California couple not once but twice. Nick Valencia has been looking into this story. How in the world does this happen?

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Outrageous. And the family doesn't even know if they are going to get all of their belongings back. What happen was the bank when they foreclose on your home sends a company out to what they call secure the property which means clean out the belongings. Wells Fargo Bank sent in a contractor, a group to clear out the house. They cleared out the wrong house Fred, they mistook the neighbor's house which is about ten acres away, went into the house cleared out three generations of memories. The couple had built the home in the 1950s, three generations of memories just wiped out.

WHITFIELD: Oh my goodness. So they were out of the house at the time all of their possessions and everything taken?

VALENCIA: That is a good question. This is the second home so it is not like this family is out on the streets. This is the late father's house and it was sort of a vacation home, whether it is about 200 miles from where they live. To make matters even worse though, one time it happens and they realize the mistake this contract company. Second group contractors comes back in to change the locks and they end up clearing out more of the belongings. WHITFIELD: Unbelievable. So now what? Of course family is outraged. An offer is being made, a settlement? Family saying what?

VALENCIA: The settlement offer is being made but the family is debating on whether or not they want to take this offer. Right now as you can imagine if this happened to you or I we would be furious. We spoke to the family earlier today, the family is furious. In fact earlier this week the family spoke to our local affiliate KCBS. This is what they have to say take a listen.

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ALVIN T. JOSAAS, HOMEOWNER: You put your heart into something it's like -- it makes me real sad. I'm just glad I have my sweetheart. We have been together a long time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VALENCIA: The family is very upset about this. They don't think Wells Fargo is being sincere about their compensation. In fact we spoke to Wells Fargo earlier and they told us we are deeply sorry for the very personal losses the Tjosaas family suffered as a result of their home being mistakenly secured. Our spokesman says he has never heard of a situation like this before. We are going to work to resolve that. Obviously we would never want this to happen. We are going to do what we need to do to rectify this.

WHITFIELD: Oh my goodness. That is so frightening. I'm sure everyone is worrying about could this happen to me.

VALENCIA: Hope not.

WHITFIELD: Oh boy. All right. Nick Valencia thanks so much appreciate that. And of course we continue to watch West Palm Beach, Florida for the president's arrival there as he is staunching through that swing state. When he does emerge we will take his comments live. Next.

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