Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Newsroom
American Airlines' Loose Seat Problem; Two U.S. Border Agents Shot, One Dead In Arizona; Romney, Obama Prep For First Debate; Unresolved Fiscal Cliff Could Raise Taxes; Pennsylvania Voter I.D. Law Halted; Early Voting Begins In Ohio And Florida; Stephen Colbert on GMA Team; Marijuana as a Ballot Issue
Aired October 02, 2012 - 10:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: Counting down to tomorrow's first presidential debate, is President Obama's biggest challenge not Mitt Romney?
Legalizing marijuana, it's not just a pipe dream in the state hosting tomorrow's debate. We'll look at an issue for a coveted voting block.
And IKEA is now apologizing. The Swedish furniture maker now saying it regrets deleting images of women from the Saudi version of its catalogue.
NEWSROOM starts now. Good morning and thank you so much for being with us. I'm Carol Costello.
We begin with the growing problem for American Airlines. Imagine being on a plane and having your seat just detached from the floor while you're in the air. It's happened at least twice in the past few days on two separate American Airlines' planes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Passenger seats rows 12D, E, and F came loose out of the floor, and we don't want that thing flying around and hurt the passengers behind them. The seat is loose and can rotate pretty quickly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Yesterday, a flight from New York to Miami had to return to JFK after some seats came loose in the cabin. And last week a seat from Boston to Miami had to make an emergency landing at JFK in New York after three seats detached from the floor during the flight.
Affiliate reporter, Ross Palombo, from WPLG joins us now on the phone. Ross, I know you've been covering this story for the Miami area. It's unthinkable for this to happen not once but twice.
ROSS PALOMBO, WPLG REPORTER (via telephone): Well, this morning, Carol, we're hearing reports of a possible third incident. It was last Wednesday on a flight from Colorado to Dallas where, again, the seats came loose. This morning, the FAA can only so far confirm investigating the two incidents from yesterday and Saturday, all of this as we're getting that first look at an actual photo of the problem and hearing from a passenger on one of those flights.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was a chaotic experience.
PALOMBO (voice-over): Passengers call it chaos, American Airlines climbing into the sky with seats suddenly coming loose.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The seats flipped backwards. It was actually a complete nightmare.
PALOMBO: The nightmare for her began on Saturday. This woman too shaken to show her face says she was just flying from Boston to Miami when suddenly on takeoff three seats flipped over.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And so people were essentially on the laps of the passengers behind them.
PALOMBO: Humorous now, but a serious scare then, the pilot immediately called for help.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Passengers seats, rows 12D, E, and F came loose from the floor.
PALOMBO: With one passenger now in a crew jump seat and two others in two empty seats, the plane immediately diverted to New York's JFK.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We don't want that thing flying around and hurting passengers behind us.
PALOMBO: They landed without injuries, without further incident, on a similar American Airlines Boeing 757, a similar incident. There was another row of loose seats on takeoff. This time, on a flight from JFK to Miami and another scare.
SETH KAPLAN, AIRLINE WEEKLY: Nobody got hurt, but certainly it's not the most reliable airline right now.
PALOMBO: From bankruptcy to mass layoffs, American has had pilots call in sick, hundreds of flights delayed, hundreds more canceled.
KAPLAN: This is certainly an airline that's had more than its share of problems.
PALOMBO: And now this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The seat is loose and can rotate pretty quickly.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People were hysterical trying to figure out their connections.
(END VIDEOTAPE) PALOMBO: This morning says it has inspected the planes and believes it may have something to do with the design on these Boeing 757s specifically with the fasteners how the seats connect to the fuselage.
Eight of their similar planes have been inspected, all by American Airlines and they say they found no problems. Their engineers, though, this morning are still looking into it -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Ross Palombo from WPLG, thank you so much for joining us this morning. Let's talk about it, is it a design flaw, the 757? Miles O'Brien joins now via Skype. He's an expert in all things aviation. Miles, what do you think the problem is?
MILES O'BRIEN, PILOT AND AVIATION ANALYST: Well, I think it's a little late in the game to be saying there's a design flaw in the 757. They've been around for 20 plus years now and to suddenly say that the seats are coming loose because of a design flaw I think is probably doesn't hold much water.
I think you do need to put this into context with what's happening at the airline. The airline's in bankruptcy, the pilots deny it, but there is clearly a work slowdown going on right now, which is to say pilots are writing up a lot of maintenance issues they might not have written up in the past.
And what that means is the Maintenance Department is awfully busy on top of everything else that's going on in that airline. So you have to wonder if they're tightening down those bolts as carefully and double-checking things as they have in the past.
I should point out that when an airline is in bankruptcy as American is right now, the FAA does step up its inspection process on an airline. So in theory, the government is looking over their shoulder.
COSTELLO: Well, some people think this is sabotage because of, you know, the problems they're having with the unions, at the airlines and it's difficult for me to believe that someone would endanger passengers.
O'BRIEN: You know, I would never ever suggest that is the case. I can't imagine any pilot, any flight crew deliberately sabotaging and putting people in harm's way. It's one thing to fly to the letter of the law in order to make a point to management.
It's an entirely different thing to put people in harm's way and I think you're right. Your initial reaction, Carol, it's hard to believe, I think we should stay with that. I don't think that would happen.
COSTELLO: Miles O'Brien, thank you so much for enlightening us. We appreciate it.
O'BRIEN: You're welcome.
COSTELLO: Let's talk about what's happening in Arizona. Two U.S. border patrol agents have been shot. One of those agents has now died. The shootings occurred in the south eastern part of the state near the Mexican border.
The FBI and the county sheriff's office are investigating, but they have not released any names, not yet. We have a former CIA operative and CNN contributor, Bob Baer. He is on the phone. Have you been able to find out what happened?
ROBERT BAER, CNN CONTRIBUTOR (via telephone): Well, I think the point in this shooting is that the borders are still porous, and for counterterrorism officials right now, this is probably a question of illegal immigrants or drug smuggling.
But the question is, will terrorists ever try to use our borders to get inside this country and infiltrate themselves in ours? It's a very real one. I know people working hard on closing up this border, but we're far from it.
COSTELLO: Well, this is the 14th agent killed in the line of duty since 2008, three of them just this year. So obviously, you're right. There are problems here.
BAER: Well, we have to move on that border. You know, the world is not a safe place. I mean, you know, we had the stuff going on in the Middle East, seems distant, but it very well could come up this way.
I think, you know, the fact we've gone all these years hasn't been a serious attack on the United States since 9/11 doesn't mean there won't be one. And the easiest way to get in this country as we saw on 9/11 is either from Canada or Mexico. And this should be one more reminder to us that we cannot stop our efforts.
COSTELLO: Well, the sad irony here is there's a Brian Terry station, a station was named after this border patrol agent who was killed, you know, in the midst of that Fast and Furious unfortunate program that the government was running for a while. You would think there would be extra patrols there or added safety measures, and maybe there are and I just don't know about them.
BAER: Well, I think the problem is for so many automatic weapons down there, there are even grenades coming across the border. And so our broader patrol is outgunned. And you know, short of moving into armor, you can't entirely protect them.
What we have to look at that border is like any disputed border it has to be well-protected sort of like between Israel and Lebanon where it's impossible to get across it without the border patrol knowing and being alerted, especially with people carrying weapons.
COSTELLO: Former CIA operative and CNN contributor, Robert Baer, thanks so much for joining us this morning.
Now the march to the presidential election just five weeks from today, a major way station could be tomorrow's presidential debate. Today both candidates are off the campaign trail and hunkered down for intensive coaching and practice.
Mitt Romney is in Colorado where the debate is being held, President Obama is in Nevada right now. Yesterday, the President visited with volunteers at a campaign field office in Henderson, even picked up the phone and joked with a voter about tomorrow's showdown.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: They're basically keeping me indoors the whole time. They're making me do my homework.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: CNN political director, Mark Preston, is in Denver. Are you inside the hall right now? No, you're still outside.
MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Outside. It's beautiful out here -- Carol.
COSTELLO: It's beautiful. Well, you have been inside. I mean, it's a pretty impressive arena.
PRESTON: It is a pretty impressive arena. And there's going to be so much on the line when we see Barack Obama and Mitt Romney face off tomorrow night.
You know, Carol, when we talk about moments in a campaign and how important they are, it's pretty hard to argue that tomorrow night is not going to be the most important moment in this campaign.
Mitt Romney, Barack Obama facing off, tens of millions of people watching them. You know, there's over 3,000 journalists that are going to be here just covering it, 700 of them are from foreign countries. So there's so much on the line -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Well, back to the debate for just a moment, we saw the President joking there the polling station in Henderson, Nevada. Some political analysts say the President isn't taking this seriously enough. He kind of knows Mitt Romney's not a good debater and maybe he's overconfident.
PRESTON: Well, he's got to be careful about that. So tomorrow night, we're going to be looking for moments. One of the strengths for President Obama this past year when we're looking at polling is that the American public generally likes President Obama even as they have said that his job approval has been below 50 percent.
So we're looking for moments, we're looking to see who goes on the defense, who's on offense tomorrow night, and who might slip up. But it's all about expectations, and in fact, 12 hours ago, Mitt Romney here in Denver addressed that. Let's take a listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MITT ROMNEY, (R) PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: People want to know who's going to win, who's going to score the punches and who's going to make the biggest difference and the arguments they make and there's going to be all this scoring of winning and losing. You know, in my view, it's not so much winning and losing or even the people themselves, the President and myself, it's about something bigger than that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
PRESTON: And you have Mitt Romney trying to down play expectations of tomorrow night's debate. In fact, his advisers are telling us that, in fact, this is one of several debates he'll have a chance to address the American people and explain to them why he would be better, Carol, off, taking care of the economy that's done so poorly than President Obama has.
COSTELLO: Mark Preston reporting live from Denver this morning. CNN's live coverage of the debate starts tomorrow night 7:00 Eastern.
Time is running out for Congress and President Obama to reach a budget deal. If they don't, the fiscal cliff could cost you thousands of dollars in tax increases and they could begin next year.
Alison Kosik at the New York Stock Exchange. When I saw this, I was scared -- Alison.
ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, you know why? Because this would have a huge impact if we do go over this so-called fiscal cliff. You know what, 88 percent of us, we are going to pay more in taxes.
The Tax Policy Center says, you know what, for the average American, it means thousands more dollars in taxes. Now, overall, of course, varies based on how much you make. And I want to show you what you make here.
Look at this, for low-income people, this is people making less than $20,000, it means an extra $400 in taxes that you pay. If you come in, in the middle income area, it means an extra $2,000. The richest people making over $108,000, you pay an extra $14,000 extra.
Why would all this happen? Well, of course, a record number of tax increases. They're all going to kick in beginning in January if Congress doesn't step in and stop it from happening. So what would happen?
These Bush-era tax cuts, they would go away. The payroll tax holiday, that would expire. The health reform taxes, those would kick in. So guess what? It would all mean less money in our wallets -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Wow. Well, you have to think that when Congress looks at those numbers, lawmakers would get together and sing for the good of the American taxpayer.
KOSIK: Well, you know what? They're certainly not doing it before Election Day, don't count on that, but there is some good news. That CNN Money asked 17 economists, what do you think? Do you think Congress is going to get a deal done in time?
And that's unanimous, all 17 said yes. They don't think we're going to go over the fiscal cliff meaning that everything all at once won't happen. Not to say that little pieces of it won't go away. But remember, this is just a guess. Those economists, they're putting a whole heck of a lot of faith in Congress. That's taking a leap. And as I said, nothing's expected to happen until after November 6th.
Get ready for this to come down to the wire, something that Congress has done often times, the best at procrastinating, aren't they? And that's a big worry because we've heard how the Congressional Budget Office that they're going to think the U.S. could go into a recession if Congress doesn't get their act together in time -- Carol.
COSTELLO: Alison Kosik, thanks.
Early voting kicks off in Florida and Ohio this morning. Key battleground states for the presidential election, but with 35 days to go, a lot of people have already made up their minds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: It is 16 minutes past the hour. Let's get to that breaking news. We're now getting word that a Pennsylvania judge has just ruled on a state law that requires voters to show a photo I.D. before casting their ballot.
Of course, critics say that law unfairly targets minorities and the poor. CNN's Joe Johns is in Washington. What's the ruling?
JOE JOHNS, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Well, Carol, the ruling is that Judge Robert Simpson in Pennsylvania has issued an injunction. That means he has temporarily cut off the state of Pennsylvania from enforcing and going forward with this voter I.D. law as to the November election this year.
The State Supreme Court had already ruled that Pennsylvania could have a voter I.D. law. The question was always whether the state would have time to implement that law by Election Day this year. So the judge got a decision on appeal and he had to make another ruling.
So I just want to read you very briefly the most important language. The State of Pennsylvania is preliminarily enjoined, that means cut off from implementing or enforcing, the controversial part of that law through the general election November 6th, 2012.
He said nothing in the injunction prohibits the state from doing some of the other things that the law requires does not require voter I.D. So this is certainly a victory for those in the state who said, look, there's not time to implement this law. And asking for people to get voter I.D. at this late date is just a bridge too far. The important thing we also have to say is there was a dissent on the appeal that happened in this case.
And there were some judges in Pennsylvania who say this thing's going to be appealed anyway, and an appellate court is going to have to decide this and who knows how far it goes. So there could be some other appeals, nonetheless, the headline here, the important headline, a victory for people who are fighting against voter I.D. laws in Pennsylvania, a judge has temporarily enjoined the state from enforcing that law at least through the November election -- Carol.
COSTELLO: You do not have to show a photo I.D. to vote in the state of Pennsylvania?
JOHNS: That appears to be the case at least until November -- until after November 6th. They're still going to have this law, it just doesn't appear to this judge that they're going to have time to implement all the procedures and get people the I.D.s that they need so that no one will be disenfranchised -- Carol.
COSTELLO: All right, Joe Johns reporting live from Washington. Both presidential candidates are trying to downplay the importance of tomorrow night's debate. And you can bet they are hoping to sway some voters their way.
The only problem, it may be too late. Voting in some critical battleground states has already started and that includes Ohio and Florida. Some people even held a sweep out the vote rally last night in Columbus, Ohio, trying to be the first in line to cast a ballot.
Aaron Sharockman from the "Tampa Bay Times," and Henry Gomez from the "Cleveland Plain Dealer," join me now. Welcome, gentlemen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Happy to be here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you for having us.
COSTELLO: So, Henry, I'd like to start with you. Were there a lot of people lined up to vote this morning?
HENRY GOMEZ, POLITICS WRITER, "THE PLAIN DEALER": Well, in Cuyahoga County, there were about 15 people who were there last night who stayed over and then this morning by 8:15, the polls opened at 8:00 there were already 200 people in line to vote. And they were expecting hundreds more throughout the morning in Cuyahoga, which is the most populous county in Ohio.
COSTELLO: I know in 2008, lots of people chose to vote early in the state of Ohio. Will the early voting numbers match 2008?
GOMEZ: Right now, they're thinking that the early voting numbers might exceed 2008. You know, there are two ways you can do it. You can do it by mail, which is still the most popular way to vote absentee and early.
Or you can do it in person, Monday through Friday at your local board of elections between set hours. So, yes, they are expecting it to exceed 2008 since more people are familiar with the options available to them.
COSTELLO: So, Aaron, I know there have been some challenges to Florida early voting. When it comes right down to it, how long will people be able to vote early this time around?
AARON SHAROCKMAN, DEP. GOVT. AND POLITICS EDITOR, "TAMPA BAY TIMES": Yes, in Florida it's the same way as Ohio. There's two ways to early vote. There's one through absentee mail ballots. Those are in the mail today and over the next week.
So voters who requested those ballots will be receiving them. Folks wanting to early vote, in 2008, they have 14 days, and Charlie Crist the then Republican governor actually extending early voting hours to allow more people to even cast ballots.
While the Republicans in Florida changed that law in 2011 and said now you only have eight days to vote. So really early voting in Florida in person voting doesn't start until October 27th and goes through that final Friday before the election.
Democrats say, we want to vote on that final Sunday. It's a big turnout day for African-Americans. Republicans say we want to have the fairest and fraud-free election possible so we need that break in between for the end of early voting in November 6, Election Day.
COSTELLO: OK, so eight days people have to early vote in Florida. So what's the turnout been like in Florida?
SHAROCKMAN: Well, it -- the turnout is going to be interesting to see. Actually in 2008, more than half of the ballots cast for the presidential election were cast before Election Day.
So you have this really interesting thing of you have, you know, Barack Obama and then John McCain coming, barn storming through the state where a lot of votes were already cast.
We're expecting a similar picture in 2012. Obviously, Florida is the biggest swing state in America, 29 electoral votes, already Republicans and Democrats are organizing lawyers in every one of Florida's 67 counties, get ready to challenge ballots.
Already we're hearing stories of potential voter registration fraud from a group that's aligned with the Republican Party of Florida. So it's Florida, it's every year, every election there's lots of questions, and this is another year.
So I'm sorry you're going to have to deal with us, put up with us through November 6th. Hopefully, we'll get it right.
COSTELLO: Florida, Florida, Florida. Henry, critics of early voting say people are already voting, the presidential debates haven't even happened yet. And something could well happen in the presidential debates to change people's minds. And that's maybe why we shouldn't have early voting because there's just not enough time.
GOMEZ: Well, sure. You hear that argument and there are a lot of voters who are waiting until at least tomorrow night's debate before, you know, sending in their absentee ballot or showing up at the board of elections to vote.
But, really, one thing I wanted to point out, we're facing a similar situation here in Ohio and Florida. This weekend before Election Day, back in 2008 it was open for early in person voting at the board of elections. It was an advantage that many Democrats took advantage of. They would organize buses from, you know, Sunday church services or from union offices. And bus folks down to the board of elections to vote. That window right now is influx. Because the state Republican officials challenged it, a federal judge ordered that banning those three days in person is unconstitutional and now there's an appeal process.
So there's a lot of uncertainty following the final three days. There's a lot of time for people to vote a 35-day window. And I imagine that many will wait until that last week or so to do so.
COSTELLO: And, you know, Republicans would say they're just trying to make sure there's no voter fraud during this election and that's why there have been all these efforts, you know, to kind of like trim back early voting. I mean, Aaron, from your reporting, what's the real reason behind this?
SHAROCKMAN: Well, the reason they say is, again, to curb fraud, but when you look at the evidence, I think someone here with the American civil liberties union in Florida points out there are more shark attacks in the state of Florida than cases of voter fraud. And when you drill down what the cases of voting fraud actually are, they all happen to do with absentee ballots or voter registration, which the Republicans have tried to tamp down a little bit.
But really they haven't touched absentee ballots. And when you look at who does what at least in Florida, if you're voting by mail and absentee, you're more likely to be a Republican. If you vote in person, you're more likely to be Democrat. And Republicans in 2011 really targeted early voting to try to limit the opportunities in some ways for fraud, but also maybe limit access to the ballot box, as well.
And that's an argument playing out in court here in Florida. Some Democrats accused Republicans of essentially unfairly targeting minority voters by curbing the number of days of early voting in the state.
COSTELLO: Aaron Sharockman from the "Tampa Bay Times," and Henry Gomez from -- I can't say your name fast when I say it together. Henry Gomez from the "Cleveland Plain Dealer," thanks to you both for being here with us this morning.
CNN's live debate coverage begins tomorrow night 7:00 Eastern.
IKEA now apologizing after criticism over gender equality. It's all over these ads. Note the difference between the one of your left and the one on your right.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Now is your chance to talk back on one of the big stories of the day. The question for you this morning, will President Obama beat himself in the debate?
President Obama's running around the country saying what a great debater Mitt Romney is. But some political analysts say the President should stop lowering expectations and do a little self-reflection. Because, as "Politico" says, President Obama's greatest enemy isn't Romney, it's himself. Because shall we say, the President is quote, "quite confident."
Here he is at a polling station in Henderson, Nevada.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: Basically, they're keeping me indoors all the time. They're making me do my homework.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: He looks pretty darn relaxed, doesn't he? Keep in mind, polls are showing most people think Obama will ace the debate. Still Obama's advisers are concerned about the President's tendency to appear smug, testy, and even impatient. Remember what he said to Hillary Clinton during a primary debate four years ago?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HILLARY CLINTON, (D) FMR. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: He's very likable. I agree with that.
OBAMA: You're likable enough, Hillary.
CLINTON: Thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COSTELLO: Some felt that comment oozed condescension and cost Obama the New Hampshire primary a few days later. Political analyst Larry Sabato says despite Obama's likability, the President is actually pretty frosty. Sabato says that in the debate, Obama has to do something that doesn't come naturally. Smile, make his point, be genteel.
So the "Talk Back" question for you today: Will President Obama beat himself in the debate? Facebook.com/carolCNN, Facebook.com/carolCNN. Your comments later this hour.
Good morning, and thank you for joining us. I'm Carol Costello. It's 30 minutes past the hour. Let's check our top stories now.
Just minutes ago, a Pennsylvania judge ordered a halt to a state law that requires voters to show a photo I.D. before casting their ballots. Critics argue the law unfairly targeted minorities and the poor. With just five weeks before the presidential election, the judge's ruling is likely to face an appeal from the losing side.
In Chicago, the teachers union is urging its members to vote yes today on an agreement with Chicago's Board of Education. Union members are encouraged to approve raises of 17 percent over four years and merit pay reform and measures to ensure job security. Results expected Wednesday or Thursday. To the Vatican where Pope Benedict's former butler is taking the stand and defending himself. Paulo Gabriele is charged with stealing sensitive documents that embarrassed the Vatican. Those documents point to corruption and power struggles within the church.
Both of the presidential candidates have been playing down the expectations for their debate performances over the past couple of weeks. You know that. Yesterday at a polling station in Nevada, President Obama said that preparing for the debate was, quote, "a drag." In the meantime, Mitt Romney says it's not about who wins or loses, it's about who -- well, he didn't say anything about a game. But he said, you know, we have serious issues at play here.
Anyway, both men have been hold-up, studying intently and practicing for the debate. Joining me now, Hiram College political professor, Jason Johnson, and Republican strategist, Ron Bonjean.
Thank you so much.
JASON JOHNSON, PROFESSOR, POLITICAL SCIENCE, HIRAM COLLEGE: Thank you so much.
COSTELLO: For some reason I'm a little off kilter now, but I'm fine.
Jason, you know, I'm just wondering about this Pennsylvania ruling. You don't -- a judge ruled that you don't have to show your I.D. before you vote in Pennsylvania. Of course, that's on appeal. But before -- but on the day of the election, you won't have to show your voter I.D. Will that make a difference for Democrats, let's say?
JOHNSON: That's going to be a huge difference for Democrats. I mean, look, you know, you had the Republican head of State Senate saying that voter I.D. was going to hand Pennsylvania to Mitt Romney. Well, now the state is at play. So Mitt Romney has to compete fairly, there's not going to be any voter I.D. laws disenfranchising people. It doesn't mean you can't win the state, but it certainly means that now you can definitely say, you know, Pennsylvania leans blue, leans towards Obama without voter I.D. sort of gumming up the works.
COSTELLO: So, Ron, is that -- is the Pennsylvania ruling a blow for Republicans?
RON BONJEAN, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: No, I don't think so. You know, Mitt Romney thinks that he can still be competitive in Pennsylvania. But I think what we're going to end up seeing people -- voting multiple times. And that's what we're worried about. We want to make sure that people, when they vote, they're registered to vote and that it's fair. And it's valid.
COSTELLO: OK. So let's talk about early voting. Because early voting has already started in Ohio and in Florida.
So Jason, you know, the first presidential debate hasn't even happened yet. It just seems wrong somehow.
JOHNSON: Well, no, I think early voting makes sense. I've been saying all year there's no such thing as an undecided voter when you've got an incumbent president. Mitt Romney has been running for president for five years. Barack Obama has been in the office for four years.
Pretty much every American already knows who they're going to vote for. All they want to do is go and vote. I'm voting in Ohio next week, I'm an early voter. I already know how I'm going to vote one way or another. Most Americans do. I think it's great.
COSTELLO: Wait a minute, wait a minute, Jason. You already know how -- the presidential debates haven't happened. I know you will be glued to the set.
JOHNSON: I've been watching these guys for years, I pretty much know who's good and who's bad. It's not that complicated at this point.
COSTELLO: OK. So, Ron, both candidates are fighting for a tiny teeny bit of the electorate.
BONJEAN: Right.
COSTELLO: Is this a weird election or is it normal?
BONJEAN: No, I think it's -- I think it's very normal. It's been reflective over the last two or three presidential cycles. I mean if you look at -- look at the -- in the early voting, you have -- you have both sides have the low 40s in terms of a base election, you have people in 42, 43 percent for saying we know who we're going to vote for. So now they're focused on the other, you know, between 5 and 8 or 9 percent of how can these -- how can they sway those swing voters?
And that's what these debates, and that's what the last five weeks are going to be an attempt to do. So, no, this is -- this is not unusual. And this is what happens. This is -- this is how the country is so easily divided that it's that type. That's going to be a nail biter.
COSTELLO: OK. I'd like to now explore the issue of the October surprise. And I'd like your predictions, Jason. I mean, will there be an October surprise and who will it benefit?
JOHNSON: You know, if it's a surprise, we don't know, do we? I mean that's just the interesting thing about it. I mean, look, you know, it could be -- I actually think that, you know, what happened in Libya could be considered sort of our late October surprise, but who knows? I mean, you know, Mitt Romney could come out and say, you know, I gave $1 million to end the referee strike, that's why it happened, or, you know, Barack could get Michelle pregnant.
Who knows? Anything could happen in the next month.
(LAUGHTER)
JOHNSON: And the thing is, it's just going to be a matter of how the campaigns manage it, not necessarily what the surprise is.
COSTELLO: Ron, do you agree? BONJEAN: Yes, there's -- I think there will end up being a surprise. This is too -- now it's going -- things are too normal, so to speak. We're waiting for debates to happen, we're waiting for the next few weeks to unfold. We had the embassy attack in Libya. We still have Israel threatening to do something about Iran. So we don't know if there's going to be another foreign policy crisis that unfolds because things are still unfolding in that part of the world. So, sure, there's a crisis that could happen at any point in time that could take the race in a different trajectory.
COSTELLO: All right, Jason Johnson, Ron Bonjean, thanks so much for joining us this morning.
JOHNSON: Thank you.
BONJEAN: Thank you.
COSTELLO: CNN's live debate coverage starts tomorrow night 7:00 Eastern.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: IKEA says it regrets deleting images of women from its catalogs. You can see the differences side-by-side here. In the Swedish version on the left, you see a woman standing in front of a bathroom mirror, but that image was air brushed out in the Saudi version of the same catalog. And that's on the right of your screen.
IKEA issued a statement saying, quote, "The mistake happened during the work process occurring before presenting the draft catalog for IKEA Saudi Arabia. We take full responsibility for the mistakes made."
And if you're having trouble understanding that, so am I.
One of America's funniest late-night hosts woke up early this morning for a different kind of gig. Stephen Colbert filling in on "Good Morning America."
"SHOWBIZ TONIGHT's" A.J. Hammer joins me now.
How did he do?
A.J. HAMMER, HOST, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: He did great. It was so great to see him in this role. He's making the rounds, Carol, to support his new book which is out today. That's what led to his guest hosting gig on "Good Morning America." And yes, of course, he had some fun on the show.
I'm a little jealous he actually got to sing the Dolly Parton section from the hit song, "Islands in the Stream", a cappella, with the great Kenny Rogers, and he jokingly told Jenny McCarthy -- at least I think he was joking -- when they were doing an interview with her that she was going to hell because she doesn't go to church regularly anymore.
Now Colbert's book is called "America Again: Re-Becoming the Greatness We Never Weren't," and it promises to single-bookedly hold this country back from the brink. I love the description on Amazon, by the way, which says, "It's high time we restore America to the greatness it never lost," and the review in Amazon also indicates that the book contains everything from chapters to page numbers to fonts.
So, Carol, you buy this book, you're getting your money's worth.
(LAUGHTER)
COSTELLO: I love Stephen Colbert.
Let's talk about the "Kony 2012" director. He's about to open up about that now infamous breakdown of his.
HAMMER: That's right. James Russell is the director behind what was one of the most successful viral videos ever. Now he's going to be on Oprah's "Next Chapter." Russell's video about Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony racked up more than 100 million views last spring before Russell suffered a bizarre public meltdown. He was seen running through the streets of San Diego in his underwear, interfering with traffic, and acting irrationally so police took him to a medical facility.
And his family said at the time, he didn't have drug or drinking problems, and he blamed the incident on the stress caused by his sudden popularity. So this interview with Oprah, his first since all that went down, is going to be revealing. It'll be interesting to see what he has to say about exactly what happened.
Carol, that show airs on Sunday.
COSTELLO: Yes. And if he can rehabilitate his image --
HAMMER: Yes.
COSTELLO: A.J. Hammer, thank you.
HAMMER: Yes.
COSTELLO: Join A.J. on "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" 11:00 Eastern on HLN.
Colorado could become the first state to allow the sale of marijuana without a prescription. That's if a congressman there gets his way.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Forty-five minutes past the hour. Checking our top stories now this hour.
A Pennsylvania judge has ordered a halt to a state law that required voters to show a photo I.D. Critics argue the law unfairly targets minorities and the poor. Pennsylvania is a likely swing state in which five weeks before the presidential election. An appeal is likely.
At least 38 people are dead after a passenger ferry collided with another boat off Hong Kong. The second vessel carrying families to watch a fireworks display started sinking right after impact. Police have arrested six crew members from the boat on suspicion of negligence.
Philadelphia police have launched an investigation after receiving this YouTube video. The video apparently shows an officer -- you see him there -- hitting a woman during Sunday's Puerto Rican Day Festival. The woman had thrown something in the direction of police, possibly silly string or water. The woman was led away from the parade with blood on her face.
Up to 250,000 American Express customers could be in line to get hundreds of dollars back. The company is refunding $85 million after being accused by the government of deceptive practices including illegally charging late fees and discriminating against new applicants over the age of 35.
And final preparations are now under way for tomorrow night's first debate between President Obama and Mitt Romney. Both men are cramming -- are cramming right now with their aides ahead of the Denver faceoff.
Denver, it's known as the Mile High City, but soon it might have mile- high citizens, too. That's because Colorado could become the first state to legalize marijuana.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: Marijuana and the upcoming election. Voters in Oregon, Washington, and Colorado are set to decide whether to allow small quantities of marijuana to be sold in packs. And in Massachusetts they'll vote on whether to legalize medical marijuana. But in Colorado, a push for legalization could affect the presidential election.
Here's CNN contributor John Avlon.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
REP. JARED POLIS, (D) COLORADO: It could go either way.
JOHN AVLON, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Here in Colorado, the fight for the White House is only one contentious issue on the ballot. If Congressman Jared Polis has his way, his state will be the first in the nation to legalize marijuana possession for adults.
The idea is simple: tax and regulate marijuana in much the same way liquor is today.
That's right. Money for schools. The amendment would use the first $40 million in tax revenues to build new schools. But does this mile- high idea add up?
Denver school superintendent, Tom Boasberg, says no.
TOM BOASBERG, DENVER SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT: But this kind of discussion dependent on this kind of a measure strikes me as much more of a gimmick and strikes me as a real cruel joke almost on our kids if this is the framework that people are proposing to have the discussion about what our kids need.
POLIS: It'll have a good impact on schools. I don't know why it would be a cruel joke or a gimmick. Is $40 million enough? No, of course not, but it makes a strong dent in it.
AVLON: Opinion is divided in this purple swing state, but a "Denver Post" poll shows that 51 percent of Coloradoans support the amendment with 40 percent opposed. The only age group dead set against legalization are those over 65. And among voters age 35 and younger, the margin of support is 2-1. That's a coveted voting bloc for both campaigns which have dismissed the idea of legalizing marijuana.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Should marijuana be legalized for medical use?
ROMNEY: Aren't there issues of significance that you'd like to talk about?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is --
ROMNEY: The economy --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is a significant issue in Colorado.
ROMNEY: The economy.
OBAMA: We're not going to be legalizing weed or what any time soon.
AVLON: One question is whether this amendment will drive some of those young voters to support libertarian candidate Gary Johnson, the former Republican governor of New Mexico who's a strong advocate of marijuana legalization.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
COSTELLO: John Avlon reporting. Just two years ago in California, polls initially said legislation to legalize marijuana might pass, but it went down to defeat on Election Day.
We'll keep you posted.
Today's "Talk Back" question: Will President Obama beat himself in the debate? Your responses next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: For the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, we talked to Dr. Lisa Masterson for the TV -- from the TV show "The Doctors." She shares some of the telltale signs of the disease for both men and women in this "Daily Dose."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DR. LISA MASTERSON, CO-HOST, "THE DOCTORS": One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. So it is so important that women, you know, do their breast self-exam. They get mammograms, they go get their clinical breast exam by their doctor.
Healthy living, eating right, decreasing alcohol, not smoking. Also keeping your weight in check. Because we know that excess fat turns into estrogen and that can stimulate breast cancer, as well. It is so important for women to know the risk factors and for men to also be aware of their bodies. To look for the same changes that we tell women to look for. To look for nipple changes, nipple discharge, skin changes, puckering, dimpling, lumps. They need to be very aware of their bodies, as well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COSTELLO: "Talk Back" question today: Will President Obama beat himself in the debate?
This from Lauren: "I don't like all the focus on slips and misstatements. I'd rather have a president that makes errors but forges ahead than one that either doesn't or covers them up and fails to be effective."
This from Toby: "Just like a baseball or football team before a big game, Obama is just being loose. Not putting too much pressure on himself. President Obama will do just fine."
This from Walter: "President Obama will beat himself because he'll have to talk without his teleprompter. He needs that to talk to his children or order a cheeseburger."
And Tanyanika: "I love the President, but sir, please, keep your responses short, sweet, and to the point."
Facebook.com/carolCNN if you'd like to continue the conversation.
Thanks as always for your comments. And thank you for being with me today. I'm Carol Costello. CNN NEWSROOM continues after a break, with Ashleigh Banfield.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
