American Morning
"Outside the Wire": Sgt. Shorter and unit on patrol in Afghanistan
Editor's Note: As part of an ongoing series “A Soldiers Story,” CNN's Jason Carroll follows Sgt. Randy Shorter and his unit as they head into Afghanistan. Catch their stories on our AMfix blog, CNN.com and CNN's American Morning in September.
Angle vs. Reid: the Tea Party's big gamble
(CNN) – We are kicking off the fall political season with a new series, "Make Room… for the Tea Party". The latest CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll shows that voters are mixed on the political movement. 40% of respondents say they have a negative opinion of the Tea Party, while 36% have a positive opinion. Today, we are taking a closer look at Nevada where Sharron Angle, a Tea Party favorite, is the Republicans’ hope for taking down Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. Our Jim Acosta has the story.
LIVE Blog: Chat with us during the show
Editor's Note: Welcome to American Morning's LIVE Blog where you can discuss the "most news in the morning" with us each week day. Join the live chat during the show by adding your comments below. It's your chance to share your thoughts on the day's headlines. You have a better chance of having your comment get past our moderators if you follow our rules: 1) Keep it brief 2) No writing in ALL CAPS 3) Use your real name (first name only is fine) 4) No links 5) Watch your language (that includes $#&*) 6) Stay relevant to the topic.
Next up: Obama moves economy to top of week's agenda
(CNN) – On this Labor Day, the White House will put its focus squarely back on the economy, following a week where the Obama administration concentrated on Middle East peace talks and the end of America's combat role in Iraq.
The address will be the first of two speeches this week in which President Obama will try and frame his administration's response to the recession, less than two months ahead of midterm elections where Democratic majorities in the House and Senate are on the ropes.
Obama will be in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Monday, speaking at a Labor Day event in a state that has extremely competitive gubernatorial and U.S. Senate races.
Then on Wednesday, he will deliver an economic speech in hard-hit Cleveland, Ohio, in a state that also has very competitive gubernatorial, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House battles that will help determine control of both chambers of Congress. Full Story
CNN Poll: GOP's midterm advantage is growing
(CNN) – With November's midterm elections less than two months away, a new national poll indicates that the Republicans' advantage over the Democrats in the battle for Congress is on the rise.
According to a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation survey the GOP leads the Democrats by seven points on the "generic ballot" question, 52 percent to 45 percent. That seven point advantage is up from a three point margin last month. The generic ballot question asks respondents if they would vote for a Democrat or Republican in their congressional district, without naming any specific candidates.
"The survey indicates that Independents and voters who dislike both parties are starting to break toward the GOP," says CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "In a year when anger at incumbents is a dominant political force, the key to the election lies among those who aren't rooting for either side."
According to the poll, the two parties are equally unpopular. Forty-nine percent of all Americans have an unfavorable view of the Democrats and 49 percent have an unfavorable view of the Republicans. Just over one in five questioned dislike both parties. Back in April, Americans who dislike both parties appeared to mildly favor the GOP on the generic ballot, by a 43 to 39 percent margin, with a large number saying at the time that they would pick a minor-party candidate or stay at home.
"Now, a lot of those voters appear to be bolting to the GOP. Republicans now have a whopping 38-point advantage on the generic ballot among voters who dislike both parties," adds Holland.
Republicans also have large and growing advantage among Independents. Sixty-two percent of Independents questioned say they would vote for the generic Republican in their district, with three in ten saying they'd cast a ballot for the generic Democrat. That 32 point margin for the Republicans among Independents is up from an eight point advantage last month.
"It's not surprising that those two groups are voting the same way, since almost by definition Independents don't like either party," adds Holland.
What will the "Obama factor" be in November? The poll indicates that most say that their vote for Congress will not be intended as a message for President Obama.
Twenty-four percent say that their vote will be in opposition to Obama; with one in five saying their vote will be a message of support for the President. In 2006, anti-Bush voters outnumbered pro-Bush boters by more than two-to-one.
"Among those who plan to send a message with their vote this fall, Obama is having a negative effect but nothing like the effect George W. Bush had on Republican candidates in 2006," says Holland.
The CNN/Opinon Research Corporation poll was conducted September 1-2, with 1,024 adult Americans questioned by telephone. The survey's overall sampling error is plus or minus three percentage points.
Sound off: We want to hear from you this morning. Add your comments to the LIVE Blog below and we'll read some of them on the show.
Plugged in: Here I come Pakistan
CNN correspondent, Kaj Larsen is traveling to Pakistan and will be blogging about his experience. Catch all his stories here and on CNN's American Morning.
I began packing for Pakistan the night before my flight. For some people packing for a journey is an exercise in organization, utilizing applications like packing pro and making lists. For me, its more like a foray into fortune telling. Where do I think Ill be in 48 hours, what will I be filming, is it going to be monsooning, am I sleeping on the ground or in at the Intercontinental?
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- Seat 23G
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- Kaj's gear prep
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- Screen in front of Kaj with the latest news update- Triple Suicide Bombing in Lahore.
Compounding the confusion is that covering 3rd world disasters is an organic process. On some stories the itinerary is straightforward, you show up, you go to the hotel, you go to an interview. In Pakistan it’s the opposite. Nearly 20% of the country is underwater. Millions of IDPs (internally displaced persons) are without food, shelter, or water. Until you actually get on the ground, its hard to know exactly where you are going or how you are going to get there. Where are the hardest hit areas, where are the most refugees, and does the security situation allow you to get there to tell the stories of those affected. Its an exercise in controlled improvisation, or to paraphrase former Secretary of Defense Rumsfield, there are a lot of “known unknowns and a few unknown unknowns.”
FULL POST
50,000 reasons Iraq is not over
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2010/images/09/03/ceremony.iraq.art.jpg caption="BAGHDAD – SEPTEMBER 1: U.S. Vice President Joe Biden (L), U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates (C) and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Mike Mullen (R) stand during the U.S. national anthem during U.S. Forces-Iraq change of command ceremony September 1, 2010 in Baghdad, Iraq. "]
By David I. Levy, Production
The President announced the end of combat operations in Iraq on Tuesday. On Wednesday, The Vice President ceremonially handed the mission over to the Iraqis.
So, are we done in Iraq? No, and the administration never really said we were. We are transitioning to a new mission in Iraq, more politically and diplomatically focused.
But it's just so tempting to focus on the "end of the combat operations" part. The fact that is 50,000 troops are going to remain in Iraq. That is a huge commitment.
The number 50,000 stuck in my head when I heard it, and after some googling, I remembered why. 50,000 is almost the same number of soldiers and civilians I served with when I was in the Air Force stationed in Germany. The Kaiserslautern Military Community, or KMC, is about 53,000 people and is the largest military community outside the United States.
That means we're keeping a force in Iraq that's almost as large as our largest overseas military community. Or, let's compare that to another country, Korea. The official website of the U.S. 8th Army in Korea states that "U.S. troop level in Korea presently stands at 28,500 in the force."
So while 50,000 troops reflects a steep drawdown from active combat operations, it's still a huge number among our installations overseas. The President didn't mention how many civilians there will be.
But that's only until 2011, right? Well, maybe. The Iraqis can ask us to stay and there's good reason to think they might. Sectarian violence remains a big problem and Iraq's parliament still hasn't formed a coalition government. Iraqis also have some issues to work out with their neighbors, Iran and Turkey. We're friendly with Turkey, but Iran has been a thorn in our side, to say the least.
So while Operation Iraqi Freedom may be over, let's remember this is only a transition, not the end.
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