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Debate is in the Details; Middle Class "Buried the Last Four Years"; More In-Flight Drama for American; Housing Market in Recovery; Manhunt for Border Patrol Agent's Killer; Two Dead After Meningitis Outbreak; ADP: Hiring Slows In Private Sector; "Bombshell" Video Really Old News; Forbes List of Hollywood's Richest Women; Wives' Roles in the Debates; Achieving the American Dream

Aired October 03, 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: Happening right now, 11 hours and counting until President Obama and Mitt Romney meet here for first presidential debate. It will actually only be the fourth time the two men have met face-to-face. This debate could be a game-changer.

Standing up to a bully, a TV anchor takes on a viewer who called her fat. Hear what she's saying this morning.

Another drama-filled day for American Airlines. Why the embattled carrier was forced to make not one, but two, emergency landings.

From the queen of talk to a country princess, we'll tell you which Hollywood ladies bring in the big bucks. NEWSROOM starts now.

Good morning to you. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for being with us this morning. All is quiet at the Magness Arena in Denver, Colorado where the first presidential debate is set to take place in just about 11 hours.

You know, it looks almost serene here, but you can still -- but you can see all the work that went into setting the stage for tonight's debate. When it comes to the things we remember most about these debates, it is all about the tiny little details.

Little things like remember Ron Paul's oversized suits or Michele Bachmann's military style dress? It is those kinds of details that fortunately or unfortunately leave lasting impressions.

Frank Fahrenkopf co-chairs the Commission on Presidential Debates. He joins me now and he helps figure out not those details but many other details. Welcome.

FRANK FAHRENKOPF, CO-CHAIRMAN, COMMISSION ON PRESIDENTIAL DEBATES: Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: So are you exhausted?

FAHRENKOPF: No, no, no. We're just full of anticipation. You know -- there are so many technical details that have to be done. We have a great staff, a staff that's been with us for many, many years. So they're very, very experienced. So we're just anxious to get this one behind us because we have three more to follow.

COSTELLO: So tell us about those tiny technical details. What is the weirdest decision that you have to make?

FAHRENKOPF: Well, I think the weirdest decision we ever had to make took place in one of the first debates that we did at UCLA, back in 1988, because of the height difference between Michael Dukakis, the Democratic nominee and George Herbert Walker Bush who is four or five inches taller than him.

We actually had to build a little bubble in front of the podium for Mr. Dukakis, Governor Dukakis to stand on so he would appear relatively the same height. So it is little things like that that we have to deal with.

COSTELLO: So tell us about a little thing like that for this debate. I mean, as far as the size of the podiums or the temperature in the room.

FAHRENKOPF: Well, you know, we try to keep the temperature at 65 degrees. I always tell my wife and daughters when they come, bring a pashmina because the hall is very, very cold, has to be with the lights and cameras. We try to keep it there. Sometimes it varies.

So the podiums will always be the same size for the men and women who participate in these debates. And so, you know, we sit down, we work with the staff of our professional staff and then they -- each of the candidates also has a staff that is here.

We walk them through, showing how things will go. As you know, we'll take both candidates through this afternoon. One on one, they'll walk through the facilities, we show them where they're going to stand this evening, where their family will be, shoot them with the seven camera angles, a lot of details that our professional staff that we deal with there to make sure they're pleased.

COSTELLO: So how do you figure out who speaks first or who enters from stage right or stage left?

FRANK FAHRENKOPF: It's very, very complicated. We flip a coin. That's how those decisions are made. We flip the coins yesterday. The president will be introduced first. He'll get the first question. He'll also get the first wrap-up at the end of the debate and Governor Romney will have the last wrap-up. You know, we do things as clearly and as transparently and as fairly as we can to make the decisions that are so important.

COSTELLO: Of course, optics are so very important and lighting is important, so do you discuss all of that? Because the men have very different skin tones and you want to look fantastic when you're on live television.

FAHRENKOPF: We'll leave that to the makeup artists. We don't really get into that. We pretty much, as I said, we have a very, very professional team that have been with us for many, many years. So we don't get down to that level with the candidates. Although back in 1984, it was a very, very dramatic difference. Roger Ales was then advising President Reagan and he noticed some shadows that appeared because of the lighting and adjustments were made.

So what happens is in all of these debates, we'll listen if the candidates necessarily want to make a change, has to be fair to both sides. I think we know what we're doing at this point and time. This will be our 23rd debate that we have done at the commission.

COSTELLO: I'm sure you do. I mean, I've watched many debates and they all looked terrific. Thanks so much for joining this morning. Frank Fahrenkopf, co-chair on the Commission of Presidential Debates. Thank you.

Just hours before the first debate, both candidates took a break from their intense preparation. The president made an unexpected stop at the Hoover Dam about a half hour drive from where he's been practicing. It is his first visit to the Hoover Dam and he called it spectacular.

Mitt Romney took a break to visit a Chipotle Restaurant in Denver with Senator Rob Portman. Remember, Portman is playing Obama in their mock debates.

CNN, of course, is covering all angles of the debate tonight. Dana Bash is following the Romney campaign. Dan Lothian is with the Obama campaign.

Did I say, Dana, you're following the Romney campaign? Let's start with you, Dana Bash, you're in Washington. What do you got?

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, I have been looking into and reporting on some of Romney's debate preps. You're right, Carol. You know, you mentioned that Romney was with GOP Senator Rob Portman.

I got to tell you, it is kind of surprising that Romney wants to hang out with Portman still since he has been playing President Obama. By all accounts according to sources, in those mock debates, Portman has been very, very tough on Romney, to prepare him for the real thing.

Now Portman is the go-to guy for Republicans for debate prep. He's worked with Republican candidates since 2000 and I spoke with Senator Portman in an exclusive interview about what he does to prepare to prepare Romney.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. ROB PORTMAN, (R) OHIO: How they're likely to express themselves, you know, what the body language is going to be like, try to imitate the person. But you try to give a fair presentation, you know to whoever you're working with as to what they're likely to do.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BASH: Now, Portman and Romney's other members of his inner circle have been doing mock debates with him on and off for about a month. He had his first round of debate boot camp at mock debates in Vermont during the Democratic convention. And he's had it several other times, I'm told, in Boston and other places. So certainly has been a very, very intense preparation for Mitt Romney and one he's never had before because he had lots of debates during the primaries, Carol, but never sat down and did the mock debates before this.

COSTELLO: OK, this will be interesting to see what happens tonight. Dana Bash reporting live for us this morning.

Dan Lothian is in Denver. He is following the Obama campaign. What has the president done for final preparations?

DAN LOTHIAN, CNN WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, he will be, this morning, going through those briefing books again, doing some final preparations and as you heard earlier, doing a walk-through later this afternoon of the venue. But the bulk of the work has happened over the last couple of days as a president was in Nevada, which is, of course, a key battleground state, going through the debate camp. Senator John Kerry playing the role of Governor Romney.

That's good for two reasons, at least, for the Obama campaign because he knows Mitt Romney very well, coming from the state of Massachusetts, but also is veteran debater himself. He's been helping the president out.

Now, the thing that we'll be watching for is what the real push will be from the Obama campaign. And the Romney campaign tonight in terms of their overall theme.

As you know, it is all about domestic policies, so they're talking about the economy, about health care, about the role of government, what the president will do, according to top campaign aides is say, yes, look, the economy still has a long way to go, bt it is in a much better place than it was and it is heading in the right direction. Mitt Romney will say that the president has had time to fix the economy, and there has been a lot of broken promises. So that's what we'll expect from both of the candidates as they take on each other tonight during the first debate.

COSTELLO: Dan Lothian reporting live from Denver. CNN's live debate coverage starts tonight, 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

Tonight's debate features the men who want to be commander in chief. Vice President Joe Biden may also find himself in the spotlight, thanks to some comments he made on the campaign trail.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The middle class was buried by the policies of Romney and that Ryan supported. As Bill Clinton said, all they're suggesting now when he's asked about this and he's the best, he made the comment, he said, what they're proposing is Bush economic policies on steroids. That's what this is.

(END VIDEO CLIP) COSTELLO: As you might have guessed, Republicans seized on the comments with Biden's rival, Wisconsin Congressman Paul Ryan, saying the vice president seemed to have taken a page out of the Republican nominee's playbook.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. PAUL RYAN, (R-WI) VICE PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE (via telephone): He was taking my speech, you know what? We agree. The middle class has been buried over the last four years. They're being buried by Obamacare, being buried by borrowing, by taxes, by spending, by more regulations, by all the uncertainties that is plaguing business and the way to fix this is by electing Mitt Romney.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Ryan and Joe Biden will take center stage in just over a week in a debate scheduled for October 11th.

A brutal week continues for American Airlines. Our affiliate, KOMV, says Flight 1862 left Dallas for St. Louis yesterday, only to return due to landing gear problems. Passengers say people were crying when the flight crew told them to prepare for an emergency landing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED PILOT: We got a right -- not a gear unsafe light, unsafe in the on position, looks like we might have a door hanging on the right side.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 1862 understood, do you require the equipment?

UNIDENTIFIED PILOT: Stand by on that. In the gear down position, everything shows satisfactory so we'll get back to you on that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: That flight did arrive later in St. Louis. Also, a separate American Airlines flight, this one en route from Chicago to London, was also forced to make an unscheduled landing in Ireland after a passenger smelled smoke.

Of course, those incidents just the latest in a series of problems for American Airlines, which recently reported problems with loose seats on two planes during three separate flights. And that's also last week. Pilots were concerned the loose seats could have become projectiles. Now the head of American Airlines Safety and Maintenance Division says installation problems are to blame and that the airline is moving forward to correct the problem.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAVID CAMPBELL, AA HEAD OF SAFETY, SECURITY AND MAINTENANCE: we have guys who (INAUDIBLE) every single day. They're engineers, tech crew chiefs, they have gone in. They believe what -- they have determined what they believe is the -- is a potential failure, but beyond the failure we're focusing our attention on making sure they're properly installed.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: The Federal Aviation Administration says it is now investigating American in the wake of those loose seat issues.

Some better news for home owners. The housing market is taking a turn for the better. It is positive. That's according to an exclusive CNN Money survey.

Alison Kosik has been following the story from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Hi, Alison.

ALISON KOSIK, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Carol. Yes, could it be? The housing recovery could really be taking hold, especially when you hear what these 14 economists in this CNN Money survey say. Nine say home prices are higher or will turn higher this year. Just a few months ago, only seven economists thought that. They're more confident now and here's why. Look at this.

Home prices have actually gone up over the past three months. In this chart we're about to show you, you can see the small increase on the right of the screen there. What that means is that we found a bottom with the housing market. Other factors as well, sales of homes are picking up, home construction is rebounding. Mortgage rates are also at record lows and that, of course, hopefully can encourage more buying -- Carol.

COSTELLO: We hope so. Alison Kosik is at the New York Stock Exchange. Thank you.

It was billed as a campaign bombshell, a new secret tape showing President Obama making shocking remarks, only problem -- not so shocking and it definitely was not a secret.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It's 15 minutes past the hour. Checking our top stories now.

A manhunt under way for the killer of a Border Patrol agent. The 30- year-old Nicholas Ivy was shot dead after he was spotted during a sensor going off in Southern Arizona on the Mexican border. The second agent was wounded, but he's expected to survive.

Two people have died, 11 others remain in the hospital after contracting non-contagious meningitis from steroid injections. All but one received those injections from a medical facility in Nashville. That facility has been closed and will remain shut down until an investigation is completed.

Turning to the economy now, new data from payroll firm ADP shows the private sector added 162,000 jobs last month and while that beats forecasts, it is a slowdown from August. The ADP data is closely watched and comes just before the government's jobs report, which is due out this Friday. Parts of North Georgia are recovering after heavy rains triggered flooding. Water covered several roads and the storms caused scattered power outages. Rob says the area will dry out today.

And junior hockey player Taylor Cox may have been imitating a real NHL star with his goal scoring celebration. But now he knows all rinks are not made the same. He jumped up for joy and then crashed through the glass. He was not hurt and he even continued celebrating.

Now is your chance to talk back on one of the big stories of the day. The question for you this morning: What would you ask the candidates in tonight's debate?

Have you seen those -- have you seen those up close and personal campaign ads just released by President Obama and Mitt Romney? You know the ones where they attempt to cut through the noise and speak directly to you.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MITT ROMNEY, (R) PRESIDENTIAL NOMINEE: We shouldn't measure compassion by how many people are on welfare. We should measure compassion by how many people are able to get off welfare and get a good paying job.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: If I could sit down with you, in your living room or around the kitchen table, here's what I'd say. When I took office, we were losing nearly 800,000 jobs a month and were mired in Iraq. Today, I believe that as a nation we are moving forward again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: President Obama sitting around the kitchen table? OK. We would like to turn that idea on its head. What if you could moderate tonight's debate? Well, now is your chance. The topics are endless: health care, the deficit, social security, immigration and whatever else you can think of.

To ask either candidate or both of them, you have 90 minutes to moderate this debate so gloves off. Talk back question: What would you ask the candidates in tonight's debate? Facebook.com/CarolCNN. Your comments later this hour.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It is 21 minutes past the hour. As the candidates continue to prepare for the big debate tonight, a tape surfaces, one that Tucker Carlson's conservative web site, "The Daily Caller", bills as Obama's other race speech. A clip.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

B. OBAMA: These quiet riots that take place every day are born from the same place as the fires and the destruction and the police decked out in riot gear and deaths. They happen when a sense of disconnect settles in and hope dissipates. Despair takes hold and young people all across the country look at the way the world is and they believe that things are never going to get better.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Carlson called this a bombshell, but a little reality here -- this tape is not new. It was an open press event recorded in its entirety in 2007, and many media outlets including CNN extensively covered it. Even Tucker Carlson himself covered it in 2007 when he worked for MSNBC.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TUCKER CARLSON, "THE DAILY CALLER": Barack Obama was talking about a quiet riot today, and it was not a reference to 1980s heavy metal band, unfortunately. The Senator waded into the controversial waters of race during a speech at Hampton University in Virginia.

He said the Bush administration has done little to quell a brewing storm among some black Americans. He compared the current tension to what fueled the L.A. riots.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: In fact, even CNN's headline that day read like this, "Obama Quiet Riot Could Erupt Like L.A. Riots." Joining me now to talk about this is the co-editor of "Mother Jones" magazine, Monika Bauerlein. Good morning, Monica.

MONIKA BAUERLEIN, CO-EDITOR, "MOTHER JONES": Good morning, Carol.

COSTELLO: So your site is, of course, now famous for releasing Mitt Romney's -- that secret videotape of Mitt Romney talking about the 47 percent.

I just wondered, you know, your reaction to this video that was kind of like pumped up on the dredge report and then released on "The Daily Caller" and then made its way to FOX News. Just take me through the thought process, as far as you can tell, of this release of this tape.

BAUERLEIN: Well, one of the things I would surmise and obviously I'm not inside, you know, "The Daily Caller's" operations, is that ever since our Mitt Romney video made news, everybody else has been looking around for other videos of the candidates appearing in small settings or years ago, being more candid than they might be in the public.

And I think we're seeing some of the results as people dig up videos that have not been seen lately. Of course, you know, as you pointed out, this particular Obama speech was widely covered at the time. So it is not really the equivalent of, for instance, the video we released that hadn't been seen before. But everybody is --

COSTELLO: How would you compare the tapes?

BAUERLEIN: Well, in both cases, you know, we see the candidate being a little more unvarnished than we see them on the campaign trail. The campaign trail persona is that we see are very scripted, and very sanitized.

What Obama is saying in that video doesn't sound nearly as revelatory to me. I mean, those are the kinds of things that candidates say during primary campaigns that are a little more passionate and emotional than they are necessarily during the general election.

But it is not -- again, it is not really the equivalent of this small group Romney video that had him saying things that he would not really be found saying in public.

COSTELLO: It seems like, you know, as campaigns become more and more scripted, that sites like yours and maybe news organizations, they're going to try to find these tapes where the candidate is talking off the cuff.

BAUERLEIN: Well, our site, of course, is a news site. We are all about the journalism. We found this video through the investigative reporting efforts of our D.C. Bureau Chief David Corn and, yes, I think every -- every journalist. And every candidate learned or should have learned in 2008 with the Makaka moment involving former Senator George Allen that there is video of everything.

If there were more than two people present at a gathering, there is video of it and somebody is going to put it on YouTube and find it and post it.

COSTELLO: So the 47 percent thing that appeared on "Mother Jones," I mean, how often do you think President Obama will mention that in tonight's debate?

BAUERLEIN: Forty seven times? You know, you know, we could not quite have expected the impact it would make, but I think what it has done is really put Mitt Romney in a position of debating with himself because at this point people are seeing the Romney who is speaking to them on the stump.

And in tonight's debate and in commercials, and in their heads, they're also seeing the man who is speaking to a group of people who paid $50,000 to get in, and they have to make up their minds really which one of them they believe.

COSTELLO: Monica Bauerlein from "Mother Jones," thank you so much for joining us this morning. We appreciate it.

BAUERLEIN: It is a pleasure.

COSTELLO: CNN's live debate coverage starts tonight at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

Talking about standing up to a bully, this local news anchor from Wisconsin gave a 4-minute smackdown to a nasty fan.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: It is coming up on 30 minutes past the hour. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you for joining us. Checking our top stories now. It is debate night in America, less than 11 hours until President Obama and Governor Romney face off with their first presidential debate. CNN's live coverage begins at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

Turning to the economy, new data from payroll firm ADP shows the private sector added 162,000 jobs last month. And while that beat forecasts it's a slowdown from August. The ADP data is closely watched as it's released just before the government's jobs report, which is due out Friday.

American Airlines says it is now inspecting 47 of its Boeing 757s after reports seats came loose on three flights on two planes. At least 36 of those planes have now been inspected. Six planes had improperly installed seats. The airline is blaming clamps for the problem.

Tragedy along the Arizona border where this man, you see him right behind me, 30-year-old Nicholas Ivie became the third Border Patrol agent to die in the line of duty this year after he was shot and killed, authorities still searching for a suspect this morning.

Our crime and justice correspondent, Joe Johns join me now. So, where do things stand in the manhunt?

JOE JOHNS, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE CORRESPONDENT: Carol right now this case is still a big mystery. What we know is that Ivie and two other border agents were responding to an electronic sensor hit along the border when they started taking fire. Ivie was killed.

One of the other agents was shot but the injuries do not appear to be serious. A third agent wasn't injured at all. Now this happened near Naco, Arizona -- about five miles north of the border, right around the area of Brian Terry Station. It's a place named for border agent Brian Terry whose death in 2010 near the border put a real spotlight on the federal government's "Fast and Furious" gun walking operation that's still being talked about here in Washington.

But in the Ivie investigation so far, authorities really don't know what they've got yet. The acting sheriff of Cochise County, Arizona was on CNN's "STARTING POINT" earlier today and he had explained the investigation is hard work especially because of the terrain they're dealing with.

It sounds like we don't have that sound.

The sheriff also said that cameras on the border did not record the incident because it happened a few miles north of the border. The FBI has pledged its resources to help out on the investigation. Nicholas Ivie leaves behind a wife and two children. President Obama called the family to express concern about the killing and to thank them for Ivie's service -- Carol.

COSTELLO: I just wondered, I mean authorities will have to search in Mexico too. Will it get cooperation from the government there?

JOHNS: Obviously a good question. The Mexican government has a cooperation agreement with the United States government. There is also, of course, that big overarching issue of whether all of this is connected to Fast and Furious. We don't know the answer to whether it is.

In the case of Brian Terry, two firearms were located at the scene and traced back to "Operation Fast and Furious." In this case, authorities say no firearms were found at the scene. However, that Ivie case is certainly attracting attention on the Hill. Republican Senator Charles Grassley, the point man in the Senate on Operation Fast and Furious, put out a letter stating the obvious saying, "There is no way to know at this point how the agent was killed, but because of Operation Fast and Furious, we're going to wonder for years if the guns used in the killing along the border were part of an ill advised gun walking strategy."

Carol.

COSTELLO: Joe Johns reporting live for us this morning.

Stars of the hit '80s movie "The Princess Bride" are planning a reunion for the film's 25th anniversary. Awesome.

Showbiz headlines next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: She is the TV anchor that's taking the Internet by storm by responding on air to a viewer who called her fat. Listen to Jennifer Livingston of WKBT in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNIFER LIVINGSTON, WKBT NEWS ANCHOR: To the person who wrote me that letter, do you think I don't know that? That your cruel words are pointing out something that I don't see? You don't know me. You are not a friend of mine. You are not a part of my family. And you have admitted that you don't watch the show. So you know nothing about me, but what you see on the outside. And I am much more than a number on a scale.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Livingston's message to her audience struck a chord. Her video went viral and we got to hear more from the anchor as she made the rounds on the morning TV shows. Here she is on CBS talking about why she chose to speak out.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LIVINGSTON: This was a personal attack, not only on my size, but on my ability to role model our community, and young girls and I am a mother of three girls and that hit home and I did not think that is fair.

That e-mail was well written. It was articulate. But, make no mistake about it, it was meant to hurt my feelings. It was meant to shame me into losing weight. And in my opinion, that's a bully.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Livingston has already received overwhelming support from viewers and co-workers.

"Forbes" has released its list of the highest paid women in entertainment. And the woman in the top spot probably won't surprise you much. CNN entertainment correspondent Kareen Wynter is with us this morning. Spill it.

KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Carol, because she claims the spot year after year. Of course, Oprah Winfrey, she's at the top of the list. But according to Forbes, while she may not keep the top spot for long, according to their estimates, well, Oprah she made $165 million between May 2011 and May of this year. Giving her an estimated net worth, this is just astonishing, of $2.7 billion.

"Forbes" says some of that money came from her now shuttered syndicated talk show and without that income, well, you'll probably see her drop down the list some. Maybe a little bit, next year. Although with her cable network and other shows that she produces, shows like "Dr. Phil", they say she'll still make the list, just not the top.

Britney Spears, she comes in second with an estimated $58 million in income and Taylor Swift -- Swift was right behind her at $57 million.

So Carol, who knows, one of these young stars they may topple Oprah next year. But that's going to be a big drop off after Oprah because more than $100 million, that's the difference between the first two spots. But you know after a million, really, who's counting?

COSTELLO: Wow. That's a shame. Let's talk about a really cool story, "The Princess Bride". I love that movie.

WYNTER: Yes.

COSTELLO: There's going to be a reunion?

WYNTER: That's right. The cast is reuniting in New York to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the film's release. And you know even after 25 years, this movie, it's at least a cult classic. Because yes, this was a kissing book and movie but there was enough action for the boys with some of the great lines people actually repeat to this day and scenes audiences still remember quite vividly, like this one. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MANDY PATINKIN, ACTOR: Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.

(END VIDEO CLIP) WYNTER: Gosh. That takes you back. Its star Cary Elwes, he was on "STARTING POINT" talking about the anniversary and here is what he told Soledad and the gang. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CARY ELWES, ACTOR: No, you know, we had no idea. We just wanted to make the best possible movie we could make and we had a lot of fun doing it. And you know, you're lucky as an actor if you have any movie that resonates over a period of time and I feel really blessed. You know I still get fan mail from all over the world to this day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WYNTER: So Carol, I know some people who work on your show, they haven't seen this film yet, which is just a classic blunder. Perhaps not as bad though, as getting involved in a land war in Asia, but at least as bad -- at least as bad as going against a Sicilian when death is on the line.

And those are all references from the movie for those who haven't seen it. I'm not just spitting it out.

COSTELLO: Oh I love that and if you haven't seen the movie, oh you should rent it, because it's just so fun.

Thank you, Kareen.

WYNTER: It's amazing.

COSTELLO: It is.

WYNTER: Thanks, Carol.

COSTELLO: First presidential debate is, of course, tonight and the American Dream may play a role.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Coming up on 45 minutes past the hour, checking our top Stories.

A manhunt continues for the killer of a murdered border agent -- U.S. border agent I should say. He is 30-year-old Nicholas Ivie. He was shot after he responded to a sensor going off in southern Arizona near the Mexico border. President Obama had called Ivie's family. He's offered his condolences. A second agent was wounded but is expected to survive.

American Airlines will inspect 47 of its Boeing 757 after reports that seats came loose on three flights in two planes. So far at least 36 of those planes have been inspected. Six planes had improperly installed seats.

And retail experts predict Americans will shell out a little more cash this holiday shopping season with sales expected to increase more than four percent from a year ago. That's according to the National Retail Federation which says this is the most upbeat forecast it has made since the recession.

First presidential debate of the election is tonight. You know that by now. The Obama campaign, the Romney campaign and the media getting ready. The debate will take place here at the University of Denver. It is the first time we'll see the two men face to face unscripted. In fact, just an aside for you, these men have only seen each other in person four times.

The debate isn't just stressful for the presidential candidates it's also stressful for their wives. Both Michelle Obama and Ann Romney are talking about their role tonight. First Lady says she mostly offers positive reinforcement but does get nervous.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHELLE OBAMA, FIRST LADY OF THE UNITED STATES: I get so nervous at these debates. And, you know, I'm like one of those parents watching their kid on the balance beam, you're just standing there just trying not to, you know, have any expression at all.

JESSICA YELLIN, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: I wonder if in your wildest dreams you ever imagined that you would be spending your 20th wedding anniversary on a double date with the Romneys.

M. OBAMA: Yes. No, I can't say that this would have been the plan 20 years ago.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: That's right. It is the Obamas' wedding anniversary tonight.

Ann Romney -- she says she comforts her husband Mitt during the debates and he looks for her in the audience. She also tucked up one of Mitt's traditions.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANN ROMNEY, WIFE OF MITT ROMNEY: We're there for each other emotionally all the time. In the last 20 debates that we did in the primary, I felt that was my most important role.

GLORIA BORGER, CNN HOST: So how do you do that?

ROMNEY: You know, it is a cute thing that he does, almost after every answer he finds me in the audience. As soon as he get on stage, the first thing he does is takes off his watch and puts it on the podium. But then he writes "Dad" on the piece of paper. And that's amazing because he loves his dad, respects his dad, doesn't want to do anything that would not make his father proud.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: People today may be more optimistic about achieving the American Dream than just a few years ago or at least they're less pessimistic. A CNN/ORC poll asked if people felt if they achieved the American Dream. About 44 percent said yes -- that is statistically the same as in 2010. Slightly fewer people said no but they would eventually. And the number of people who said "no, they will never achieve the American Dream" has decreased in the past two years.

CNN's political director Mark Preston is in Denver. So, does this poll mean anything in light of what is about to take place tonight?

MARK PRESTON, CNN POLITICAL DIRECTOR: Well, I think the poll shows us that we're in such tough economic times and that's why we haven't seen it move, only by a few digits, Carol, since 2010. But what's really disturbing about this poll, is that less than half of Americans think they'll actually achieve the American dream and more than half Americans don't think they'll ever be able to achieve it.

So I think that's a little disconcerting especially when you talk about the land of opportunity here in the United States. And that's what we're going to hear from the candidates tonight. they're both going to offer their vision about why they think they should be leading the country and why they think they have the path for people to reach the American Dream.

COSTELLO: OK. Let's take a look at a couple of more polls. There are a lot of polls out today. This is another CNN/ORC poll. Compared to the last few years, fewer registered voters say the government should promote traditional values, dropping from 57 percent in 2008 to 41 percent in our latest polling.

Now, look at the number of people who say the government should not favor any set of traditional values. That's increased to 54 percent from 41 percent when President Obama was elected. So kind of parse that out for us, what does that mean?

PRESTON: Well, you know, I think there is two reasons why we have seen the numbers go in the other direction. One is I think we're in tough economic times. People are focusing on jobs. They're not focusing on social issues necessarily, not focusing on abortion, not focusing on same sex marriage. They're focusing on the fact that they're losing their house and they want to get back to work. So that's why -- one reason why I think we're seeing that. I also think we're seeing the younger generation come of age right now and younger voters certainly a lot of Republican voters or conservative voters don't necessarily agree to hold the same values when it comes to social conservative issues as their parents. That's why I think you're seeing the numbers move in that direction.

This also comes at a time -- I mean I can remember when Congress was trying to pass an amendment to outlaw -- a federal amendment to outlaw same sex marriage. You know that was certainly in my lifetime -- that was about ten years ago. We're at a point right now where same sex marriage is now starting to be embraced across the country. So it really comes down to the economy and I think it comes down to the new generation -- Carol.

COSTELLO: Mark Preston reporting live for us from Denver. CNN's live debate coverage starts at 7:00 p.m. Eastern.

Speaking of social values and same sex marriage, Chick-fil-A's president Dan Cathy has been quiet for the past few months after comments he made about same sex marriage ignited a firestorm. Well, this morning, we are hearing from him.

Mr. Cathy's original remarks that started the controversy involved his support of the traditional family. He said that he was, quote, "guilty as charged in his stance against same sex marriage". He spoke with CNN affiliate WXIA at his family's ranch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DAN CATHY, PRESIDENT, CHICK-FIL-A: Chick-fil-A is focused on families. Always been that way -- we're a family owned business, we're led by a family and our restaurants are operated by families and we serve millions of families every week at Chick-fil-A. We're focused on the family.

Families are very important to our country, they're very important, I think, to all of us, that we're concerned about being able to hang on to the heritage that we have. And we're supporting biblical families and have always been part of that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: This is the first time Mr. Cathy has made any statement since the beginning of the controversy surrounding same sex marriage and Chick-fil-A.

Seven years between at-bats in the big leagues. Adam Greenberg got to live out his dream last night. He said, hold on. His dream is not over. Not yet.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Today is the last day of baseball's regular season. We know all the playoff teams, but not all the division winners. The Oakland A's and the Texas Rangers play today to decide the AL West champs. The A's beat Texas 3-1 last one, pulling to a tie at the top of that division. Oakland was 13 games back of Texas on June 30th. The A's have already clinched a wild card spot.

The Baltimore Orioles are also assured of a wildcard game, but boy, do they want more. Here is Chris Davis. He's going to hit a home run. This is the -- this is the -- his -- he's hit a home run in six straight games. That's what I'm trying to say. The O's held on to beat Tampa Bay 1-0.

Baltimore stays one back of the New York Yankees in the American League East. That's because the Yankees beat Boston 4-3 in 12 innings. Raul Ibanez here had the game winning hit after tying it with a homer at the bottom of the ninth. If the Yankees win or the Orioles lose tonight, New York captures the AL East, but if the O's win and the Yanks lose, there will be a one-game playoff to decide the division winner. I hope you got that. One more story from the big leagues. Adam Greenberg went to the plate for first time since 2005. The Miami Marlins signed Greenberg to a one-day contract so he could fulfill a dream. Greenberg was hit in the back of the head by a fastball, his only previous time in the majors. Greenberg struck out as a pinch hitter last night but says he still hopes to be an everyday major leaguer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ADAM GREENBERG, BASEBALL PLAYER: This is the start. This is realizing day one of that dream that I had seven years ago and had as a child. But I never went at this as a publicity stunt. I didn't start this campaign. I didn't ask for it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Tops, the baseball card company is treating Greenberg like a big league player. It's putting out an Adam Greenberg Marlins baseball card as part of its 2013 set. That's a look at sports.

Talk Back question today: "What would you ask the candidates in tonight's debate?"

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COSTELLO: Carb lovers get ready to celebrate. A recent study suggests eating the right kinds of carbs could help with weight loss. You ask, what are the right kinds of carbs? Ellie Krieger, registered dietitian and author of "Comfort Food Fix" shows us in this daily dose.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ELLIE KRIEGER, REGISTERED DIETITIAN: There is a study in "The Journal of the American Medical Association" that shows that neither very low carbohydrate diets or very high carbohydrate diets are ideal. What is ideal is eating good carbs in the right amounts. And when you do so according to the study, you could be burning more calories and be healthier at same time.

So what are good carbs? Basically carbohydrates come from a variety of foods, not just breads and starches. Good carbs come from whole fruits and vegetables, all different colors, and you want to really make sure half of your plate is fruits and vegetables. Good carbs come from whole grains, things like quinoa, brown rice, steel cut oats. Try to get them in the least processed form possible.

Good carbs come from beans, which are wonderful source of protein as well as fiber. Another source of good carbs -- low fat dairy. So go ahead enjoy your carbs. Just do it right.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COSTELLO: Talk Back question today: what would you ask the candidates in tonight's debate?

From Chanel: "Governor Romney, how do you propose to reduce the debt without raising revenue?"

This from Mary: "I would ask Obama why he's still running and remind him of his comment about being a one-term president.

From Lori: "With gasoline at over $4 a gallon and our laws working to protect our environment, could we start drilling in the U.S. rather than buying outsourced oil?"

And from Linda: "What do they plan to do about the deadly problem of gun violence in this country especially how to make it harder for dangerous people to get them.

Thanks for your comments. Facebook.com/CarolCNN if you want to continue the conversation. I'm Carol Costello. Thank you so much for being with me.

NEWSROOM continues now with Ashleigh Banfield.