American Morning
Cantor's colleagues believe he has sights set higher than Congress
By Brianna Keilar, CNN Congressional Correspondent
Washington (CNN) - As Republicans swept the top three offices in Democratic-leaning Virginia last week, Rep. Eric Cantor was in Richmond, shaking hands with supporters and rallying GOP troops as he proclaimed, "The Republican resurgence begins tonight."
He was also taking notes.
In an election that Republicans claim is an indicator that the American electorate is unnerved with the sweeping changes President Obama and congressional Democrats are making in Washington, the GOP sees an opportunity in the 2010 congressional midterm elections, where one in three Senate seats and every seat in the House of Representatives will be on the ballot.
"We're going to take the model that worked in Virginia, so we can unite our party and begin to appeal to independents with solutions that affect our lives," Cantor told reporters in a Richmond ballroom shortly before Bob McDonnell was projected to be the state's next governor.
Jumping from one interview with a television reporter to the next, Cantor showed why as the No. 2 House Republican he is his party's most visible congressman. Cantor, a lawyer, is nearing his tenth year in Washington, almost 18 years after he left his family's real estate business to enter politics as a Virginia state legislator.
Now the House minority whip, Cantor is tasked with keeping his party together on votes, a job often described - on both sides of the aisle - as herding cats.
Charges dropped against U.S. father in Japan custody case
(CNN) - Authorities have officially dropped all charges against an American who tried to snatch back his children from his ex-wife in Japan, the Fukuoka prosecutor's office said Thursday.
Charges had been technically "on hold" since Christopher Savoie was released from jail in October, though legal experts had said the move essentially meant the charges had already been dropped.
'Open' by Andre Agassi
Open: An Autobiography
By Andre Agassi
EXCERPT – THE END
I open my eyes and don’t know where I am or who I am. Not all that unusual—I’ve spent half my life not knowing. Still, this feels different. This confusion is more frightening. More total.
I look up. I’m lying on the floor beside the bed. I remember now. I moved from the bed to the floor in the middle of the night. I do that most nights. Better for my back. Too many hours on a soft mattress causes agony.
I count to three, then start the long, difficult process of standing. With a cough, a groan, I roll onto my side, then curl into the fetal position, then flip over onto my stomach. Now I wait, and wait, for the blood to start pumping.
I’m a young man, relatively speaking. Thirty-six. But I wake as if ninety-six. After three decades of sprinting, stopping on a dime, jumping high and landing hard, my body no longer feels like my body, especially in the morning. Consequently my mind doesn’t feel like my mind. Upon opening my eyes I’m a stranger to myself, and while, again, this isn’t new, in the mornings it’s more pronounced. I run quickly through the basic facts. My name is Andre Agassi. My wife’s name is Stefanie Graf. We have two children, a son and daughter, five and three. We live in Las Vegas, Nevada, but currently reside in a suite at the Four Seasons hotel in New York City, because I’m playing in the 2006 U.S. Open. My last U.S. Open. In fact my
last tournament ever. I play tennis for a living, even though I hate tennis,
hate it with a dark and secret passion, and always have.
As this last piece of identity falls into place, I slide to my knees and in a whisper I say: Please let this be over.
Then: I’m not ready for it to be over.
We Listen – Your comments 11/11/2009
Editor's Note: On Veterans’ Day 2009, American Morning’s Wednesday audience praised troops and veterans for their service to our country. Some also offered alternatives to the current health care many veterans receive today through Veterans Affairs.
- Darryl: From one vet to all vets. Happy Veterans day!
- Jim; We all love our veterans. My father traveled 70 miles to a clinic for some care and my father in law traveled over 100 miles. My question is why? Why do we spend money on a mobile clinic in West VA? Why don't we just give them a Medicare or Tri Care like health program so they can get care near their home?
- Abe: Poem for Veterans Day 2009 – Another Veterans' Day upon us / And as usual, it's the same / We have thousands in harm's way / In wartime's, deadly, game. / More than five thousand killed / And there seems, no end in sight / As we spend more lives and dollars / More and more ask, "Is it right?" / But, there's one thing is for certain / And, no matter how you may feel / We must Honor those who Serve us / Because, they are, "the real deal!" / They are those Men and Women / From, every corner of our Land / Who will Serve and fight and die / Although, not the life they'd planned. / But like, those millions before them / Who all Swore an Oath to Protect / The Constitution and our Freedoms / All of them deserve, our Respect. / Whether you do/don't support the wars / Or what, your political persuasion / We must stand by these Men and Women / Who will stand tall and Serve our Nation. / So, if you should know a Veteran / Shake their hand and tell them. "Thanks!" / Along with all those wearing Uniforms / In all our Country's, Military Ranks. / And, let's not forget the Families / With all those Stars of Blue and Gold / With recollections of those Heroes / And, all those stories, yet to be told.
Share your thoughts with us about Veterans’ Day.
Fort Hood suspect 'tired' and 'guarded'
The investigation continues today into what may have driven Maj. Nidal Hasan to allegedly go on a shooting spree that left 13 people dead at Fort Hood. So far the suspect has not spoken to investigators.
So who is he talking to? Retired Col. John Galligan is Hasan's defense attorney. He spoke to John Roberts on CNN's American Morning Wednesday.
Close call on the tracks
A few good Samaritans and the quick reflexes of Charice Lewis, the train operator, saved a life on the Boston subway. Lewis was able to pull the emergency brake just before hitting a woman who had fallen on the tracks. She spoke to our Kiran Chetry on CNN's American Morning Wednesday.
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